Calcutta High Court Judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay to resign on Tuesday to join politics

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay said he would submit his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu, the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, and Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.

“I would like to enter the political arena to work towards the betterment of the common people and address grassroots issues. That journey starts on Tuesday,” he said in an interview with Bengali news outlet ABP Ananda.

Clearing the air on speculations about him contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, he said he hadn’t decided about it, the report said.

There have been speculations that he might run for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Tamluk, a seat held by BJP's Suvendu Adhikari from 2009 to 2016.

The judge, whose courtroom has been the scene of various dramatic incidents including scuffles, boycotts, accusations against lawyers and senior colleagues, as well as apologies, expressed willingness to contest elections if offered a ticket. However, he did not disclose which political party he intends to join, according to media reports.

The judge stated that he would answer all questions about his resignation and future plans on Tuesday.

“Have not taken decisions regarding my candidature for Lok Sabha polls, but I would like to thank the ruling party in West Bengal (Trinamool Congress) for challenging me to enter the political field,” the judge told Live Law.

In 2022, Justice Gangopadhyay had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the alleged irregularities in the hiring process for teachers and support staff at government schools in West Bengal in the Teacher Eligibility Test 2014 conducted in 2016 and ordered the termination of services of primary teachers on the same grounds.

His interview with ABP Ananda over the matter irked the Supreme Court, and the apex court stayed his order to CBI and ED to investigate TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee. The Supreme Court directed the then Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to transfer the ongoing proceedings in the case to another judge of the Calcutta High Court.

In a recent fallout with the state government, on January 24, the judge not only criticized both the West Bengal Police and the state government but also issued an order for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the allegations of issuance of a large number of fake caste certificates in West Bengal.

A petition was submitted to the Calcutta High Court, expressing concerns about the large number of counterfeit caste certificates issued in West Bengal. The petitioner claimed that numerous individuals had obtained these fraudulent certificates to secure admission to state-run medical colleges.

At first, the case was presented before Justice Gangopadhyay on the morning of January 24, when he ordered the CBI probe into the fake caste certificate issue.

However, the division bench of Justice Soumen Sen allowed an interim stay on the single bench order.

After that, Justice Gangopadhyay directed that the CBI investigation would continue, notwithstanding the order from the division bench.

Justice Gangopadhyay instructed the registrar general of the High Court to immediately send a copy of this order to both the Chief Justice of India and the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.

He accused Justice Sen of acting in his interest, attempting to shield "some political party in power" in West Bengal.