1993 firing probe: Mamata Banerjee skipped commission, says WB CM Adhikari
Synopsis
A commission report suppressed for 15 years under TMC rule has finally surfaced in the West Bengal Assembly — and it reveals that Mamata Banerjee, the leader of the 1993 protest rally that ended in 13 deaths, never appeared before the inquiry she herself commissioned. CM Adhikari is now promising fresh FIRs and full compensation, turning a decades-old tragedy into a live political flashpoint.
Key Takeaways
CM Suvendu Adhikari tabled the Justice Susanta Chatterjee (Retired) Commission report in the West Bengal Assembly on Monday, 20 July .
The report, suppressed for 15 years during TMC rule ( 2011–2026 ), probed the killing of 13 Youth Congress workers in police firing on 21 July 1993 .
Mamata Banerjee , who led the protest rally, neither appeared before the commission nor had her statement recorded, according to Adhikari.
The commission recommended ₹25 lakh compensation for families of 12 identified deceased and ₹12 lakh for the injured; the previous TMC government allegedly paid only ₹2,00,000 and ₹15,000 respectively.
CM Adhikari invited victims' families to file fresh FIRs and promised full compensation from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund .
Then-Home Secretary Manish Gupta , held responsible for the firing by critics, later joined TMC and served in Banerjee's cabinet before recently announcing his exit from politics.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday, 20 July tabled the report of the Justice Susanta Chatterjee (Retired) Commission in the West Bengal Assembly, revealing that former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee neither appeared before the commission nor had her statement recorded in its findings on the 21 July 1993 police firing that killed 13 Youth Congress workers during a protest rally in Kolkata. The report had remained suppressed for the entire 15-year tenure of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government between 2011 and 2026.
What the Commission Found
The Justice Susanta Chatterjee Commission was constituted by the previous TMC government to probe the deaths of 13 Youth Congress workers killed in police firing on 21 July 1993. Despite being the leader of the protest rally that day, Mamata Banerjee — then serving as Youth Congress President in West Bengal and Congress Lok Sabha MP from Kolkata (Dakshin) — was not called before the commission as a witness, according to CM Adhikari.
A total of 44 people were summoned to provide testimony. Among those who did appear was former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who succeeded the late Jyoti Basu — the Chief Minister at the time of the 1993 firing — and got his statements duly recorded.
Key Allegations Against the Previous Government
CM Adhikari alleged on the floor of the House that neither the police nor the state secretariat under the previous Banerjee-led administration submitted relevant documents to the commission. He also pointed to a significant political connection: Manish Gupta, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who served as West Bengal Home Secretary at the time of the 1993 firing, subsequently joined the TMC before the 2011 Assembly elections, contested as a party candidate, served in the Mamata Banerjee-led cabinet, and later became a TMC Rajya Sabha member. Gupta has recently announced his decision to quit politics.
The late Pankaj Banerjee, former Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, was summoned but refused to testify. According to CM Adhikari, Pankaj Banerjee stated that since Mamata Banerjee had given Manish Gupta — whom he held responsible for the shooting as Home Secretary — a prime cabinet berth, giving testimony was pointless.
Compensation Dispute
The Justice Chatterjee Commission had recommended a compensation of ₹25 lakh to the families of the 12 identified deceased and ₹12 lakh for the injured. CM Adhikari alleged that the previous TMC government disregarded these recommendations entirely, paying only ₹2,00,000 to families of the deceased and ₹15,000 to the injured.
'You should be ashamed,' Adhikari said, addressing the opposition benches. He announced that the current government would offer families of the deceased and injured the opportunity to file a fresh FIR, and would disburse compensation as recommended by the commission from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
Political and Historical Context
The 21 July date holds deep political significance in West Bengal — the TMC has observed it as Martyrs' Day annually, making the tabling of this long-suppressed report a pointed political moment. The firing occurred under the Left Front government led by the late Jyoti Basu, yet the commission's findings now implicate the subsequent TMC administration for allegedly stonewalling the inquiry and under-compensating victims' families.
With the BJP-led government now in power in West Bengal following the 2026 Assembly elections, the tabling of the report signals that the 1993 firing is set to re-enter active political and legal scrutiny. Whether fresh FIRs materialise and compensation is actually disbursed will be closely watched in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
Almost certainly, to coincide with the TMC's own Martyrs' Day calendar. But the substance is damaging regardless of motive: a commission constituted by the TMC itself found that its founding leader never testified on an incident she was central to, and that her government paid victims a fraction of what its own commission recommended. The Manish Gupta thread is the most telling detail — if the officer deemed responsible for the firing was rewarded with a cabinet post, it raises questions about whether the commission was ever meant to reach a conclusion. The BJP government's promise of fresh FIRs and full compensation will now be the accountability test it has set for itself.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Justice Susanta Chatterjee Commission report about?
The Justice Susanta Chatterjee (Retired) Commission was constituted by the previous TMC government to probe the deaths of 13 Youth Congress workers killed in police firing during a protest rally in Kolkata on 21 July 1993. The report, tabled in the West Bengal Assembly on 20 July by CM Suvendu Adhikari, had not been made public during the 15-year TMC regime from 2011 to 2026.
Why did Mamata Banerjee not appear before the commission?
According to CM Adhikari, Mamata Banerjee was not called before the commission despite being the leader of the 1993 protest rally — making her, in his words, the 'main witness' in the incident. The commission did not record her statement, and the reasons for this omission have not been officially explained by the TMC.
What compensation did the commission recommend, and was it paid?
The commission recommended ₹25 lakh for families of the 12 identified deceased and ₹12 lakh for the injured. CM Adhikari alleged the previous TMC government paid only ₹2,00,000 to families of the deceased and ₹15,000 to the injured — far below the recommended amounts.
Who was Manish Gupta and why is he significant in this case?
Manish Gupta was the West Bengal Home Secretary at the time of the 1993 police firing. He later joined the TMC before the 2011 elections, served in Mamata Banerjee's cabinet, and became a TMC Rajya Sabha member. Critics, including the late Pankaj Banerjee, cited his elevation as a reason to doubt the commission's independence.
What has the current West Bengal government promised to do next?
CM Adhikari has invited families of the deceased and injured to file fresh FIRs, saying his government will facilitate the process. He also promised to disburse compensation as recommended by the commission from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
