Calcutta HC hears LoP row, Indranil Sen bail plea on June 17
Synopsis
Two cases at Calcutta High Court on 17 June cut to the heart of West Bengal's political turbulence — one testing whether a Speaker can unilaterally install an expelled legislator as Leader of Opposition, the other putting a former minister in the dock over alleged misuse of UNESCO's name to sell Durga Puja tickets worth crores.
Key Takeaways
The Calcutta High Court held its third hearing on a petition challenging Speaker Rathindra Bose's recognition of Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition on 17 June .
Justice Rao has twice questioned whether an expelled legislator can be LoP without party consent, and why no floor test was conducted.
Ritabrata Banerjee claims 64 of 80 TMC legislators back his bloc; 20 remain loyal to Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee .
Former minister Indranil Sen and his wife sought anticipatory bail over an FIR alleging misuse of UNESCO's name and logo to sell pre-Puja tickets via organisation MassArt .
Transactions reportedly worth crores of rupees are alleged; the case was registered at Bowbazar Police Station , Kolkata.
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, 17 June took up two significant cases — a petition challenging West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose's decision to recognise expelled All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as the official Leader of Opposition (LoP), and the first hearing on an anticipatory bail plea by former West Bengal minister and singer-turned-politician Indranil Sen, who faces an FIR alleging financial forgery linked to a UNESCO name-misuse controversy.
The LoP Dispute: Key Developments
Wednesday's hearing before a single-judge bench was the third in the LoP matter. At the first hearing on 11 June, the bench of Justice Rao declined to pass any interim protective order on the Speaker's decision, but raised a pointed question: can a legislator expelled from a party be recognised as the LoP without the formal consent of that party?
At the second hearing on 16 June, Justice Rao raised a further question — why was the determination of the majority bloc within the TMC's legislative party made without a floor test in the House? Ritabrata Banerjee responded by stating that his faction welcomed a floor test, arguing that such a test would itself establish which bloc commands a majority.
Numbers Inside the TMC Legislature Party
The Trinamool Congress currently holds 80 seats in the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly. Of these, Ritabrata Banerjee claims that 64 legislators — up from 60 earlier — backed his new bloc as of 1 June. The remaining 20 legislators continue to support the old faction loyal to former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The Indranil Sen Case: UNESCO Allegation
The anticipatory bail petition filed by Indranil Sen and his wife came up for its first hearing before the single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta later in the day. The case stems from a complaint lodged by Joydeep Mukherjee, an international tourism company representative, at Bowbazar Police Station in central Kolkata earlier this month.
According to the complaint, an organisation named MassArt — headed by Madhuchanda Sen, wife of Indranil Sen — allegedly used the name and logo of UNESCO without authorisation to sell pre-Puja tickets. The complainant alleged that MassArt falsely claimed a joint venture with UNESCO to select 24 Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata. According to the complaint, Kolkata's Durga Puja received UNESCO recognition in 2021, and MassArt was formed in 2022, allegedly beginning financial activities under UNESCO's banner thereafter.
Transactions reportedly worth crores of rupees are alleged to be involved. An investigation was initiated following registration of the FIR, after which Sen and his wife approached the High Court for anticipatory bail.
What to Watch Next
The LoP matter could set a significant precedent on whether a Speaker can recognise a breakaway legislator as opposition leader without party consent — a question with implications beyond West Bengal. Meanwhile, the outcome of Indranil Sen's anticipatory bail plea will determine whether he and his wife face immediate arrest as the investigation proceeds.
Point of View
It could fundamentally alter how floor-management battles are fought in state assemblies across India. The UNESCO-Durga Puja case, meanwhile, illustrates the reputational risk of leveraging cultural heritage recognition for commercial gain — and the legal exposure that follows when that line is crossed.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Calcutta High Court hearing about the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal?
The court is examining a petition challenging West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose's decision to recognise expelled TMC legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as the official Leader of Opposition. Justice Rao has questioned whether an expelled legislator can hold the LoP post without his party's formal consent, and why no floor test was conducted to determine the majority bloc.
Who is Ritabrata Banerjee and why was he expelled from TMC?
Ritabrata Banerjee is a Trinamool Congress legislator who was expelled from the party and subsequently emerged as the leader of a breakaway majority bloc within the TMC's legislative party in the West Bengal Assembly. He claims 64 of the party's 80 legislators support his faction.
What is the case against Indranil Sen?
Former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen and his wife face an FIR filed at Bowbazar Police Station, Kolkata, alleging that their organisation MassArt misused UNESCO's name and logo to illegally sell pre-Durga Puja tickets. Transactions reportedly worth crores of rupees are alleged to be involved.
What is MassArt and what is its alleged connection to UNESCO?
MassArt is an organisation headed by Madhuchanda Sen, wife of Indranil Sen, formed in 2022. According to the complaint, it falsely claimed a joint venture with UNESCO to select 24 Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata and used UNESCO's name and logo without authorisation to sell tickets commercially.
What happens next in both Calcutta High Court cases?
In the LoP matter, the court will continue examining whether the Speaker's recognition of Ritabrata Banerjee was legally valid and whether a floor test is required. In the Indranil Sen case, the court will decide on the anticipatory bail plea, which will determine whether Sen and his wife face arrest during the ongoing investigation.
