Kolkata Police file suo motu FIR against Mamata Banerjee over Calcutta HC order breach
Synopsis
West Bengal's political rivalry sharpened on 29 August as Kolkata Police, acting on CM Suvendu Adhikari's directive, filed a suo motu FIR against former CM Mamata Banerjee for defying Calcutta High Court orders at a TMCP rally. The government has also moved to inform the High Court — raising the prospect of contempt proceedings against one of India's most prominent opposition leaders.
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police registered a suo motu FIR against former CM Mamata Banerjee on 29 August at Hastings Police Station , South Kolkata.
The FIR was filed on the directive of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari , who also ordered police to approach the Calcutta High Court .
Banerjee is accused of violating court orders that restricted the TMCP rally at Cathedral Road to one lane and a 12 noon–3 pm window.
Both lanes were reportedly blocked for a substantial period and the event continued past the court-mandated 3 pm deadline, according to police.
Additional charges include alleged instigation of supporters to defy court orders and scuffles with on-duty police personnel.
Kolkata Police on Saturday, 29 August registered a suo motu FIR against former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Hastings Police Station in South Kolkata, following a directive from incumbent Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The FIR accuses Banerjee of violating a Calcutta High Court order that imposed specific restrictions on the foundation day rally of the Trinamool Congress' student wing, Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), held at Cathedral Road in central Kolkata on Friday.
What the Court Had Ordered
The Calcutta High Court had laid down clear conditions for the TMCP rally at Cathedral Road: the event was to be confined to a single lane, with the second lane kept open for uninterrupted traffic movement. The court also fixed the rally's duration between 12 noon and 3 pm.
According to the police, neither condition was honoured. Both lanes were reportedly blocked for a substantial period from the time the programme began, triggering significant traffic congestion in the area. The event also continued well past the court-mandated 3 pm deadline.
Charges in the FIR
Beyond the lane and timing violations, the FIR levels additional charges. Mamata Banerjee's supporters have been accused of engaging in scuffles with police personnel on duty and obstructing them from discharging their official responsibilities. Banerjee herself has been charged with allegedly inciting her followers to defy the court-imposed restrictions — a charge the police say is supported by the conduct observed at the venue.
CM Adhikari's Directive and Statement
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari confirmed earlier in the day that he had personally directed the police to register the FIR against his predecessor. He also instructed the police to approach the Calcutta High Court to formally apprise it of how its orders were flouted.
'The Court clearly directed them to conduct the rally keeping one of the two lanes free for traffic movement. The former Chief Minister assembled people and blocked both the lanes. I have directed the police to register an FIR in the matter. I have also directed the police to approach the Calcutta High Court in the matter. The matter will not be taken so easily,' Adhikari said.
Political and Legal Significance
This is a significant escalation in the political standoff between the ruling dispensation and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal. A suo motu FIR — registered by the police on their own initiative rather than on a complainant's application — carries particular legal weight, as it reflects the state's direct assertion of a cognisable offence. The decision to simultaneously approach the High Court signals that the government intends to pursue the matter through contempt proceedings as well, which could have more immediate consequences for those named. The development comes amid a charged political climate in the state, with the new administration and the TMC locked in a series of legal and administrative confrontations since the change of power.
Point of View
Filed at the sitting CM's explicit direction, is not routine policing — it is a political signal delivered through legal machinery. The simultaneous move to approach the Calcutta High Court for contempt suggests the Adhikari administration is seeking judicial amplification, not just a police record. What this episode exposes is a deeper structural tension: West Bengal's transition of power has not produced a neutral administrative apparatus, and both sides are increasingly using courts and police as proxies in a contest that is fundamentally political. The risk is that the judiciary becomes a theatre for score-settling rather than a check on executive excess — a dynamic that serves neither democratic accountability nor the rule of law.
NationPress
29 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was a suo motu FIR registered against Mamata Banerjee?
Kolkata Police registered the FIR because the TMCP rally at Cathedral Road on Friday allegedly violated Calcutta High Court orders restricting it to one lane and a 12 noon–3 pm window. The FIR was filed on the direction of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
What restrictions had the Calcutta High Court imposed on the TMCP rally?
The Calcutta High Court ordered that the rally be confined to a single lane at Cathedral Road, with the second lane kept free for traffic, and that the event conclude by 3 pm. According to police, both conditions were breached.
What additional charges are included in the FIR?
Beyond the lane and timing violations, the FIR accuses Mamata Banerjee of inciting supporters to defy court orders and charges her followers with scuffling with police personnel and obstructing them from performing their duties.
What action has the West Bengal government directed beyond the FIR?
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has directed the police to formally approach the Calcutta High Court to inform it of how its orders were violated, which could lead to contempt proceedings.
What is a suo motu FIR?
A suo motu FIR is a First Information Report registered by the police on their own initiative, without a formal complaint from an external party. It indicates that the police themselves assert a cognisable offence has occurred.
