A single-judge vacation bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, dismissed a petition filed by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) seeking compensation for the alleged vandalism of its bookstalls set up near community Durga Puja pandals across West Bengal. The court held that a similar petition was already pending before a division bench, making a separate vacation bench hearing unnecessary.

What the Court Said

Justice Partha Pratim Roy, who presided over the vacation bench, noted that an identical matter concerning CPI-M bookstalls was scheduled for hearing in January next year before the division bench led by Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge of the Calcutta High Court. Citing this pendency, Justice Roy dismissed the fresh petition, observing there was no need for a separate hearing by any vacation bench.

Justice Roy also recalled an earlier ruling by Chief Justice Ghuge's division bench, which had held that bookstalls set up without police permission near Puja pandals should not be allowed to operate, and that police were authorised to remove such stalls.

Background: A Festive Season Marred by Allegations

The petition had been filed by the CPI-M's Jadavpur area committee in South Kolkata and was taken up for hearing on an urgent basis on Tuesday afternoon. The move came amid a wave of alleged vandalism targeting CPI-M-run bookstalls at multiple locations across the state since the start of Durga Puja festivities.

Notably, on the night of Saptami, two CPI-M bookstalls were allegedly vandalised in the Jadavpur area alone, triggering sharp political debate. Reports of similar incidents in other parts of Kolkata and the broader state have since emerged, drawing condemnation from intellectuals and civil society groups.

Political Reaction and Condemnation

West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta, a journalist-turned-politician, was among those who publicly condemned the incidents. He described the vandalism as 'not only unfortunate but also shameful.'

'I could have understood if the event was an isolated incident. But it happened in three or four places. I cannot accept this in any way. We have ideological differences with the Left Parties. But why do some people not let them sell books? Who are they? Who gave them this right? Such matters are reprehensible. I feel ashamed. May this never happen again,' Dasgupta said.

Several intellectuals and civil society members have echoed similar concerns, calling for accountability over what they allege is a pattern of targeted disruption of CPI-M's public outreach during the festival.

What Happens Next

With the vacation bench petition dismissed, the substantive legal question around the bookstall vandalism and related eviction orders now rests with Chief Justice Ghuge's division bench, which is slated to hear the matter in January. Whether the ongoing allegations of vandalism will form part of that hearing remains to be seen. Political tensions in West Bengal around the Left's festival-season presence are unlikely to ease before then.