Calcutta HC rejects urgent hearing for TMC MLA Dilip Mondal facing 39 FIRs
Synopsis
Trinamool MLA Dilip Mondal, already facing 39 FIRs and arrested from a Puri hotel after weeks in hiding, was denied an expedited court hearing on Monday — even as police reportedly continue filing fresh cases against him at the rate of nearly one a day. The Calcutta High Court has pushed the matter to its regular schedule.
Key Takeaways
The Calcutta High Court on 17 August rejected TMC MLA Dilip Mondal's plea for an urgent hearing in his case challenging multiple FIRs.
Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya said the matter would be heard as per the court's regular list, with the next possible date being the following Friday .
The number of FIRs against Mondal has reached 39 , with police reportedly filing nearly one per day on various charges.
Mondal, MLA from Bishnupur, South 24 Parganas , was arrested in May from a hotel in Puri, Odisha by the STF and Diamond Harbour Police .
His son has also been arrested, and a viral video allegedly showing him making threats triggered the initial complaint.
The Calcutta High Court on Monday, 17 August rejected a plea for expedited hearing filed by All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Dilip Mondal, who is challenging the 39 First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against him. Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya declined to advance the hearing, indicating the case would be taken up as per the court's scheduled list, possibly the following Friday.
What Happened in Court
Mondal's lawyer, Kishore Dutta, appeared before the bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya and urged the court to expedite proceedings, arguing that police were registering fresh FIRs against his client at a rate of nearly one per day. Dutta contended that the mounting number of cases — now standing at 39 — made an urgent hearing essential.
Justice Bhattacharyya was not persuaded. The judge said a hearing could be scheduled for the following Friday and that the matter would proceed according to the court's regular docket. The underlying challenge to the FIRs remains pending before the court.
Background: Arrest in Puri and Mounting Charges
Mondal, the sitting MLA from Bishnupur in South 24 Parganas district, was arrested in May from a hotel in Puri, Odisha, following a coordinated operation by the Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal state police and the Diamond Harbour Police. The arrest came after he had been evading authorities for several weeks.
Cases were registered against him under non-bailable sections on multiple charges, including threatening and creating unrest. A raid on his residence in Pailan, South 24 Parganas, conducted on 14 May, found him absent. According to local sources, Mondal had fled after receiving word of the impending police action. The STF subsequently tracked him to a hotel in Puri and effected his arrest.
The Viral Video and Complaint
The chain of events was reportedly triggered by a video that circulated on social media in May, purportedly showing Mondal making threatening remarks against workers and supporters of a rival political party. The authenticity of the video was not independently verified. A formal complaint was filed at a local police station, leading to the registration of a case under non-bailable sections and the launch of a formal investigation.
Multiple separate complaints have since been filed against Mondal. His son was also arrested by police in connection with related matters.
Political Context
Mondal's case is notable for its political backdrop. He won his Bishnupur seat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections even as the Trinamool Congress suffered a broader defeat across the state — a result that made his subsequent disappearance from public view all the more conspicuous. He was reportedly not seen in his constituency following the declaration of election results.
With the Calcutta High Court declining to fast-track the matter, Mondal's legal team will have to await the court's scheduled hearing date, even as the tally of FIRs against him continues to grow.
Point of View
But the political dimensions are anything but. Mondal won his seat even as his own party lost the state — a rare individual mandate that now sits awkwardly against a criminal record of 39 FIRs and counting. The pace of FIR registration — reportedly near-daily — raises questions that courts will eventually need to address: whether the volume reflects genuine complaints or a coordinated post-election pressure campaign. That question will not be answered by scheduling alone.
NationPress
17 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Calcutta High Court reject Dilip Mondal's urgent hearing plea?
Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya declined the plea for expedited hearing, stating that the case would be taken up as per the court's regular schedule, with the next possible date being the following Friday. The underlying challenge to the FIRs against Mondal remains pending.
How many FIRs have been filed against TMC MLA Dilip Mondal?
As of 17 August, the number of FIRs filed against Mondal has reached 39, according to his lawyer Kishore Dutta. Police are reportedly registering fresh cases against him at a rate of nearly one per day on various charges.
Why was Dilip Mondal arrested?
Mondal was arrested in May from a hotel in Puri, Odisha, after evading police for several weeks. Cases were registered against him under non-bailable sections on charges including threatening and creating unrest, triggered in part by a viral video in which he allegedly made threatening remarks against supporters of a rival party.
Who is Dilip Mondal and which constituency does he represent?
Dilip Mondal is a Trinamool Congress MLA representing the Bishnupur constituency in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. He won his seat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections even as the TMC suffered a broader defeat across the state.
What happens next in the Dilip Mondal case?
The Calcutta High Court is expected to hear Mondal's challenge to the FIRs as per its regular schedule, with the next date likely the following Friday. His legal team had sought an expedited hearing given the rising number of FIRs, but the court did not grant that request.
