All education-related cases in Calcutta HC shifted from Justice Gangopadhyay’s bench

Kolkata: In a significant development on Tuesday, all the education-related cases pending before Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay has been shifted to different bench.

As per the new roster issued by the office of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, the education related matters will now be heard by the single-judge bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha.

In the changed roster, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay’s bench has been allotted cases related to industry and labour laws.

The development came just hours after Justice Sivagnanam expressed discomfort over the tiff between the single-judge Bench of Justice Gangopadhyay and a division bench headed by Justice Soumen Sen.

The Chief Justice said that he is saddened and ashamed because of how the situation evolved, as he expressed hope that the situation will normalise soon.

In the changed roster, no reason has been mentioned for the changes.

Incidentally, Justice Mantha was in national headlines last year following the boycott of his bench by a section of advocates close to the ruling Trinamool Congress, which continued for some days.

At that time, some miscreants had pasted slanderous posters on the walls of the residence of Justice Mantha in South Kolkata. Although the police launched an investigation into the matter, no one has been arrested in connection with the case so far.

Already, the education-related matters have been removed from the division bench headed by Justice Sen.

Although one particular case related to higher secondary teachers’ irregularity was still with the division bench, Justice Sen on Tuesday himself recused from hearing the matter.