The Calcutta High Court provided a temporary reprieve to the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, by recording the State Government’s assurance that no coercive action would be taken against him until the next hearing of his petition on February 19, 2026. Adhikari had approached the High Court seeking protection from alleged coercive measures by the police in connection with a criminal case registered against him at Chandrakona Police Station. In his petition, he claimed that on January 10, 2026, his convoy was attacked, that kerosene was poured on his vehicle, and that there was an attempt to set the vehicle on fire. He asserted that despite the presence of police officials at the scene, no preventive action was taken to protect him, and that he was saved only because of the swift intervention of his personal security staff. The petitionant told the court that the attack on his convoy occurred immediately after he served a legal notice on the Chief Minister alleging defamatory and false statements, and he expressed apprehension about police action against him in relation to a “cross-FIR” that was registered.
Adhikari’s counsel argued before the High Court that their client had been subjected to a barrage of approximately forty-seven to forty-eight First Information Reports since he defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party in December 2020 and defeated the incumbent Chief Minister in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. The counsel contended that this history of police cases formed part of a continuing pattern of what they described as systemic harassment against Adhikari. In the context of the convoy attack, the contention was that while the incident involved violence and danger to the Leader of the Opposition’s life and property, the police response had been inadequate, and a criminal case had been registered against Adhikari himself rather than or in addition to any action against those alleged to have attacked his convoy.
During the proceedings, the State Government sought time to argue its position and submitted an assurance that, up to the next hearing date, no coercive measures would be taken against Adhikari. The court, while recording this assurance, noted orally that the petitioner’s apprehensions should also be considered. The matter was then adjourned for further hearing to February 19. The High Court’s acceptance of the State’s assurance effectively forestalled any immediate arrest or similar actions against Suvendu Adhikari in connection with the Chandrakona Police Station case until the matter could be re-examined on the next scheduled date.
The legal proceedings arose against the backdrop of political tensions in West Bengal, where Adhikari’s role as Leader of the Opposition and his legal and political disputes with the state government have been ongoing. His petition to the High Court underscored his claims of repeated FIRs and alleged lack of adequate protection by law enforcement agencies in the face of attacks and legal actions that he described as politically motivated and prejudicial to his constitutional position as the opposition leader. The High Court’s interim direction provided Adhikari with temporary protection and ensured that no coercive steps would be taken against him until the substantive hearing of his petition in mid-February, leaving the core issues to be addressed at that time.
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