July 21 rally case: Calcutta High Court warns Kalighat TMC over non-compliance with event guidelines

New Delhi: Presiding over the July 21 rally case, Justice Saugata Bhattacharya of the Calcutta High Court expressed deep dissatisfaction regarding non-compliance with the court’s directives during the event. The judge clearly stated that any future failure to abide by court orders would attract strict punitive measures.

The court’s observations followed a report submitted by Kolkata Police regarding the security arrangements and logistics implemented during the rally, which was organized based on a petition originally filed by TMC MP Derek O’Brien.

Findings from the Kolkata Police Report

• Crowd limit violations: Despite court directions capping the total turnout at 2,500 supporters, the police report highlighted that the actual gathering significantly exceeded the prescribed limit.

• Traffic disruption: Court guidelines had explicitly mandated that one flank of Cathedral Road must remain completely open for public vehicular movement. However, the report noted that both sides of the road were blocked by attendees.

• Police presence: The report confirmed that adequate security forces were deployed to manage order, but the turnout made restriction enforcement difficult.

Court directives and background

The legal dispute originated when the TMC sought permission to hold its annual July 21 Shahid Diwas (Martyrs’ Day) rally. Justice Sougata Bhattacharya granted permission for the venue near Birla Planetarium / Cathedral Road subject to specific conditions:

Attendance capped at a maximum of 2,500 supporters

The event restricted strictly between 12:00 PM and 3:30 PM.

Mandatory allocation of one road flank exclusively for emergency and general traffic flow.

With police reporting breaches of these conditions, Justice Bhattacharya firmly remarked that repeated non-compliance with judicial instructions will no longer be tolerated in subsequent proceedings.