A PIL has been filed in the Calcutta High Court questioning the Election Commission’s large-scale transfer of IAS and IPS officers before West Bengal polls. The plea raises concerns over fairness and timing as elections approach on April 23 and 29, 2026.
The Supreme Court ordered status quo in the defamation case against lawyer and BJP leader Koustav Bagchi over social media posts sharing excerpts from a book about Mamata Banerjee. The Court also issued notice to the West Bengal government while hearing Bagchi’s challenge to the summons issued by a trial court.
The Supreme Court strongly criticised applications questioning the integrity of judicial officers involved in West Bengal’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. CJI Surya Kant said the Court “will not tolerate” attempts to cast doubt on judicial officers handling the voter verification exercise.
The Calcutta High Court reiterated that under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 “a juvenile cannot be sentenced to more than seven years.” Since the Bangladeshi national was arrested as a minor and held for over 21 years, the Court ordered his immediate release and repatriation.
