The Supreme Court of India on Monday issued a strong caution against politicising legal proceedings while hearing a plea seeking criminal contempt action against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The petition, filed by Aatmdeep, a public charitable trust, alleged that the Chief Minister made objectionable remarks following the Apex Court's ruling in the 2016 teachers’ recruitment scam case.
The matter was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the petitioner, requested the court to defer the matter. He informed the bench that an application seeking the Attorney General's consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings was already submitted.
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Responding sharply, CJI BR Gavai observed:
“Are you so sure that you will get the consent? Don't try to politicize before the court; your political battle, you should fight somewhere else.”
Following this, the bench agreed to list the matter after four weeks.
The contempt petition relates to alleged public statements made by Mamata Banerjee criticising the Supreme Court’s judgment that upheld the Calcutta High Court’s decision to cancel nearly 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff appointments made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) in 2016.
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In April, the Supreme Court bench led by then CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar had upheld the High Court's findings, noting that:
“The selection process was vitiated by fraud and tainted beyond repair.”
As a result, the Court confirmed the cancellation of all appointments in one stroke.
The remarks made by the Chief Minister after this verdict are now under scrutiny for allegedly undermining the dignity of the judiciary and prompting the present contempt proceedings.
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Case Title: AATMADEEP (A PUBLIC CHARITABLE TRUST) vs. MAMATA BANERJEE
Diary Number: 21869/2025