
The Kolkata High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against West Bengal's former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding her remarks concerning the killing of Inqilab Mancha convener Sharif Osman Bin Hadi in Bangladesh.
On Wednesday (September 16), a division bench of the High Court led by Chief Justice Rabindranath Ghuge dismissed the petition based on a report submitted by the state government.
Background of the Controversy
Following a political transition in West Bengal following the assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee made controversial remarks from a sit-in stage in Dharmatala, Kolkata, on June 2 without explicitly naming anyone.
While attendees at the gathering demanded she reveal the name, she refused, arguing that national interest prevented her from doing so.
Although the Trinamool Congress leader did not name anyone directly, it was widely perceived that she was alluding to the assassination of Bangladesh's Inqilab Mancha convener Osman Hadi.
During the speech, Banerjee pointed fingers at Indian Home Minister Amit Shah over the neighboring country's incident, raising concerns that her remarks could strain diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh.
High Court Proceedings and Dismissal
In response to the remarks, a petitioner named Abhratanu Sarkar filed a PIL opposing the comments.
During a hearing on September 1, the High Court sought a report from the state government regarding the controversial statements.
When the state government submitted its report to the court on Wednesday, it stated that Banerjee's remarks did not contain elements of any cognizable offense.
Accepting this report, the division bench headed by Chief Justice Rabindranath Ghuge dismissed the PIL.
Previously, the court had raised questions over whether the petition qualified as a PIL, with the then-Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty admonishing the petitioner for utilizing public interest litigation as a "tool".




