Calcutta HC judge bars journos from entering courtroom

Calcutta High Court judge Samapti Chattopadhyay, who is hearing the Bongaon Municipality trust vote and other local body cases, on Wednesday, barred journalists from entering her courtroom till further orders.

At the commencement of the hearing on the Bongaon matter, Justice Chattopadhyay orally directed that reporters would not be allowed to be present in her courtroom, during the hearing of cases, till further orders.

Eleven BJP councillors had moved the high court claiming they had not been allowed to enter the municipal body office for participating in a 'no trust' vote against the chairman and that Justice Chattopadhyay's earlier order on moving a no-confidence motion was not followed by the administration.

The high court judge has recently pulled up the West Bengal government over several issues, including the manner of holding trust votes in municipal bodies and illegal filling up of water bodies.

State-empanelled lawyers had on July 22 decided to not attend the court of Justice Chattopadhyay protesting her remarks against the West Bengal government, only to rescind the decision a day later.