The Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government to submit details of alleged egg-throwing incidents targeting TMC leaders after the 2026 Assembly election defeat. The Court sought information on incidents, FIR registrations, and action taken while hearing a petition linked to Abhishek Banerjee.
The Calcutta High Court has asked the West Bengal government to submit a report on every alleged incident in which eggs were thrown at Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders after the party’s defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections. The court also directed the state to state how many FIRs have been registered related to such incidents.
The orders were passed by a division bench comprising Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee while hearing a petition filed by advocate Danish Farooqui. The petition was submitted on behalf of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, alleging attacks and egg-throwing incidents targeting party leaders.
The bench further directed the Kolkata Police Commissioner to formulate clear, station-wise guidelines to prevent such occurrences. Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty said,
“If the Police Commissioner does not have guidelines in place, such incidents will continue. We will direct the Police Commissioner to frame guidelines for all police stations so that the police can act accordingly,”.
During the proceedings, the West Bengal government submitted that it did not support the acts in question. It told the court that the police were taking action wherever complaints were received.
Seeking two weeks’ time, the state’s Additional Advocate General informed the bench that FIRs were being registered, investigations were underway, and action was being taken against accused persons. He also assured the court that the government would place the steps taken by the police on record.
However, the petitioner’s senior counsel, Kalyan Banerjee, argued that the police were not acting effectively and requested an immediate interim order. He alleged that a state minister was inciting people to throw eggs and that bulldozers were being used in the presence of an MLA. Banerjee also told the court,
“The police are helping them. They are encouraging mob lynching… We will produce video evidence to establish this.”
After hearing the submissions, Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty responded that an interim order could not be granted at that stage, stating,
“We will issue directions to the state government, but it is not possible to pass an interim order at this stage.”
The bench also noted that enforcement measures alone would not be enough and emphasized the need for public awareness. Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty said,
“It is not only about taking action; there is also a need to create awareness among the public,”.
Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee further highlighted the importance of protecting citizens’ rights, observing that
“Human rights must be ensured for everyone. There should be no laxity in this regard.”
Kalyan Banerjee additionally claimed that people were being humiliated in public and questioned whether the rule of law was being upheld in the state. Referring to recent incidents, he said the airport had become a flashpoint where
“as soon as someone comes out, they are surrounded, eggs are thrown at them, and they are abused.”
Meanwhile, appearing for another party, Rajdeep Majumdar argued that police cannot intervene unless complaints are formally lodged. He also contended that aggressive mobs were carrying out attacks even when security arrangements were in place.
The High Court has directed the state government to file an affidavit and a report detailing the steps taken in connection with the alleged incidents. The matter will be taken up again on July 20.
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