HC withdraws protection to BJP’s Suvendu, clears way for FIRs
The Statesman | 25 October 2025The order came from the Bench of Justice Joy Sengupta, which observed that the earlier protection was only an interim arrangement and “no interim order can continue indefinitely.”
The protection was granted by Justice Rajasekhar Mantha’s Bench in December 2022 while staying 26 FIRs lodged by the state police.
The ruling had also made court permission mandatory for any fresh FIR against Adhikari.
Reacting to the judgment, Trinamul Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “In a landmark ruling, the Calcutta High Court has withdrawn the protection granted to Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. The court rightly observed that no one can enjoy such immunity without a defined time frame, and therefore it has been lifted.”
“The Leader of Opposition could say anything because the state government was helpless against this protection. With its withdrawal, the police and administration can now proceed in accordance with the law,” Ghosh added.
Due to that restriction, several complaints against the BJP leader that emerged over the past two years could not be converted into FIRs.
Along with lifting the interim protection, the court on Friday also quashed 15 pending FIRs against him.
In addition, the Bench directed the formation of a joint Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising equal representatives from the CBI and West Bengal Police to probe five other cases, including one in Maniktala.
The ruling comes just months ahead of the elections and is expected to heighten political pressure on Adhikari, who has long been at the forefront of the Opposition’s attack on the state government.
With the shield removed, the state can now initiate action on the long list of allegations pending against him.
The court has allowed Adhikari’s lawyers to file any written submission on the matter by Monday.
