The Supreme Court allowed Aatmadeep, a public charitable trust, to withdraw its petition seeking criminal contempt proceedings against Mamata Banerjee. The plea was filed over the Chief Minister’s comments criticising the High Court verdict on the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) teachers’ recruitment scam case.
Attorney General R Venkataramani reportedly did not give consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against the CM, which influenced the withdrawal. A lawyer representing the trust informed the bench that they had instructions to withdraw the petition after AG’s refusal.
The case stems from the 2016 WBSSC recruitment process, which the Calcutta High Court invalidated. The Supreme Court, in a verdict delivered by then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, upheld the High Court’s decision. Following this, Mamata Banerjee had made statements expressing disagreement with the judgment, prompting the trust to approach the top court seeking contempt action.
With the petition withdrawn, no further proceedings are expected in this regard. Legal experts say the withdrawal avoids prolonged litigation and highlights the procedural role of the Attorney General in granting consent for contempt cases against public officials.
The development comes amid ongoing scrutiny of political leaders’ statements in sensitive judicial matters, reflecting the careful balance courts maintain between freedom of expression and respect for judicial authority.
