Congress files FIR against ex-Bengal minister Manish Gupta over 1993 July 21 police firing
Synopsis
Thirty-two years after 13 youth Congress workers were shot dead by police in Kolkata, the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee has filed an FIR against Manish Gupta — the Home Secretary who, according to a just-tabled judicial commission report, ordered the firing. The case exposes a long trail of political cover-up, with the TMC government accused of suppressing the commission's findings for 15 years to protect Gupta, who later became a TMC minister.
Key Takeaways
The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee filed an FIR against Manish Gupta at Hare Street Police Station, Kolkata on 26 July .
The FIR relates to the July 21, 1993 police firing that killed 13 youth Congress workers during a protest rally in Kolkata.
The Justice Susanta Chatterjee Commission report, tabled earlier this month, found the firing occurred on Gupta's instructions as state Home Secretary.
CM Suvendu Adhikari alleged the previous TMC government suppressed the Commission's report for 15 years to shield Gupta.
Gupta later became a TMC MLA , Power Minister , and Rajya Sabha member before announcing his exit from politics after TMC's recent Assembly defeat.
Congress president Suvankar Sarkar has called on the Adhikari government to honour its pledge of reinvestigation.
The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Manish Gupta, a former state minister and erstwhile bureaucrat, over the July 21, 1993 police firing in Kolkata that killed 13 youth Congress workers during a protest rally. The FIR was lodged at the Hare Street Police Station under the Central Division of the Kolkata Police on 26 July, decades after the incident that has remained a flashpoint in West Bengal's political memory.
Background: The 1993 Firing and Gupta's Role
On 21 July 1993, police opened fire on a Congress rally in Kolkata, claiming 13 lives. The late Jyoti Basu was the Chief Minister at the time, and Manish Gupta served as the state's Home Secretary. According to the report of the Justice Susanta Chatterjee (Retired) Commission — tabled in the state Assembly earlier this month — the firing occurred on Gupta's instructions as Home Secretary.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari tabled the Commission's report and publicly stated that the previous Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government had deliberately withheld the findings to shield Gupta. Adhikari also called on anyone wishing to file a complaint over the incident to come forward, pledging that his government would order a reinvestigation.
Gupta's Political Journey After 1993
After retiring from the bureaucracy, Gupta joined the Trinamool Congress ahead of the 2011 Assembly elections — elections that ended the 34-year Left Front rule in West Bengal and ushered in the Mamata Banerjee-led government. In 2011, Gupta defeated then Chief Minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) sitting MLA Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee from the Jadavpur constituency in South 24 Parganas district, subsequently serving as Power Minister in Banerjee's cabinet. He later became a Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member.
Following TMC's landslide defeat in the recently concluded state Assembly elections, Gupta announced his resignation from the party and a permanent exit from political life.
Congress Files the FIR
The FIR was registered by Amitava Chakraborty, Chairperson of Congress' July 21 Committees, on behalf of the WBPCC. 'We hope that an impartial and legal investigation will be conducted. Soon, administrative or other police officers involved in the incident, including Manish Gupta, will be brought to justice,' Chakraborty said after filing the complaint.
West Bengal Congress president Suvankar Sarkar said the party wants justice for the victims. 'The promise made by CM Adhikari after the release of the July 21 Commission report should be implemented in reality,' Sarkar added.
What Happens Next
With the FIR now on record and the Commission report formally tabled, pressure is mounting on the Adhikari-led government to initiate a formal reinvestigation. The case is politically significant: the July 21 date was for years observed as Martyrs' Day by the Trinamool Congress itself — a party now on the opposition benches — adding a layer of irony to the proceedings. Whether the state police will act swiftly or the matter will be contested in court remains to be seen.
Point of View
But its timing is no accident — it follows a judicial commission report that the previous TMC government allegedly sat on for 15 years, and a change of guard in Nabanna that has every political incentive to pursue the case. The irony is layered: July 21 was the date TMC itself turned into an annual martyrs' rally, even as the party reportedly shielded the official most directly implicated. The real test is whether the Adhikari government's reinvestigation pledge translates into police action or becomes another political prop. Congress, now a marginal force in Bengal, is using this FIR to reclaim a historical grievance — but without coalition leverage, its ability to force the pace of justice is limited.
NationPress
26 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the July 21, 1993 police firing in West Bengal?
On 21 July 1993, police fired on a Congress protest rally in Kolkata, killing 13 youth Congress workers. The incident occurred when Jyoti Basu was Chief Minister and Manish Gupta served as state Home Secretary. A judicial commission later found the firing took place on Gupta's instructions.
Who is Manish Gupta and what is his connection to the 1993 firing?
Manish Gupta was the West Bengal Home Secretary in 1993 when the July 21 police firing occurred. According to the Justice Susanta Chatterjee Commission report tabled this month, the firing was carried out on his instructions. After retiring from the bureaucracy, he joined TMC, won the 2011 Assembly election from Jadavpur, and served as Power Minister and later as a Rajya Sabha member.
Why was the Justice Susanta Chatterjee Commission report suppressed?
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that the previous Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government deliberately withheld the commission's findings for 15 years to protect Manish Gupta, who had become a senior TMC functionary. The report was tabled in the state Assembly only after TMC's defeat in the recent elections.
What action is the West Bengal government expected to take now?
CM Suvendu Adhikari has pledged a reinvestigation into the July 21, 1993 firing, inviting complainants to come forward. With the Congress FIR now registered at Hare Street Police Station, the government is under pressure to initiate formal proceedings against those named in the commission report.
Who filed the FIR on behalf of Congress?
The FIR was filed by Amitava Chakraborty, Chairperson of Congress' July 21 Committees, at the Hare Street Police Station under the Central Division of the Kolkata Police. West Bengal Congress president Suvankar Sarkar backed the move, calling for justice for the 13 workers killed in the firing.
