A storm is brewing in Kolkata’s legal circles. On August 22, lawyers at the Calcutta High Court and the Central Administrative Tribunal’s Kolkata Bench (CAT) will step away from courtrooms, refusing to participate in proceedings. Their protest follows what they describe as a shocking act of police violence against one of their own.
The incident centers on advocate Manujendra Narayan Roy, who says he was brutally attacked by personnel from Bidhan Nagar East police station on the night of August 20. The alleged assault left him with a fractured pelvic bone.
Roy’s complaint to the High Court Bar Association paints a grim picture—accusing the police of a deliberate and merciless beating. His colleagues in the legal fraternity have rallied behind him, passing strong resolutions.
The High Court Bar Association declared that its members will boycott judicial work “in any mode or manner” until meaningful punitive action is taken against those responsible. A review of the situation is scheduled for August 25.
The CAT Bar Association echoed the outrage, calling the incident not an act of justice but a clear abuse of power. In its statement, the body said members will stay away from judicial processes from 11 a.m. onwards on August 22, describing the police action as “brutal and barbaric.”
Tomorrow, the court halls of Kolkata may echo with silence—lawyers making their anger heard not through arguments, but through absence.
