Terrorising judiciary should not be tolerated at any cost: Bengal Governor

Kolkata, Jan 11 (IANS) Amid the continuing ruckus outside the court of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of the Calcutta High Court and complaints against a section of lawyers resisting their colleagues from entering his court, West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose has reportedly given a strong message to the state government that terrorising the judiciary should not be tolerated at any cost.

However, keeping to his commitment before taking oath as the Governor in November last year, that his relationship with the state government will be "more administrative rather than being political", Bose did not adopt the path of his predecessor and the current Indian Vice- President Jagdeep Dhankhar in giving this message through Twitter or any press briefing.

Rather as the constitutional head of the state, he summoned the state chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi, state home secretary B.P. Gopalika and the Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal to the Governor House late Tuesday evening and instructed them to ensure necessary protection for the judges.

Sources aware of the proceedings of the meeting said the Governor was of the opinion that boycott of the bench of a particular judge is not acceptable at any cost though someone might not be satisfied with the verdict in any particular case.

The Governor also reportedly asked the city police commissioner whether the posters on the walls and near Justice Mantha's residence in South Kolkata slamming the latter had been removed or not. Bose was informed that the city police have already started investigation in the matter and have applied to a city court to file FIR in the matter against unnamed miscreants.

In the meeting, the state government representatives also assured the Governor of ensuring the security and safety of the judiciary at any cost.

On Tuesday only, Justice Mantha issued a contempt of rule and also filed a suo motu petition at the Calcutta High Court against the agitating advocates creating obstruction in their fellow professionals appearing at his court.

The matter will now be heard by the division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj. In the rule, Justice Mantha observed that the development was a reflection of rowdy activities and contempt of court.