The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday demanded that West Bengal explain why it pulled Abhishek Banerjee’s Z‑plus security cover on May 10, 2024. The court’s query follows a petition filed by the MP, who alleges four attacks after the downgrade.
Justice Krishna Rao asked the state to produce the threat assessment that led to the decision and to detail any review after the May 29 incident. He also warned that stone‑pelting could be lethal if a projectile hit a body part.
Banerjee’s lawyer, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, said the MP received no notice from either the Union Home Ministry or the state before the downgrade. He pointed to four separate attacks and an eye injury sustained in a July accident as evidence that the security reduction was unwarranted. The lawyer argued that a fresh threat assessment is mandatory before any such downgrade.
West Bengal’s counsel countered that a Special Branch assessment found no threat to Banerjee within Kolkata Police jurisdiction and that the change to X category was based on that report. The state also highlighted a hospital report indicating no serious injury from the May 29 incident. Dhiraj Trivedi, the Additional Solicitor General, reiterated that threat assessments are a state matter and not under Union Home Ministry purview.
The court has set a deadline of October 13 for the state to submit a comprehensive report. The case will be heard again on that date, with the court to decide whether the downgrade complied with legal and procedural norms.
A local shopkeeper in Sonarpur recalled seeing eggs hurled at Banerjee’s car during the May 29 episode, a detail that underscores the real‑world risks that the MP claims were ignored. That eyewitness account adds weight to the argument that the security downgrade left Banerjee exposed.
The next step is clear: West Bengal must file the requested report by the deadline, after which the court will determine whether the security decision stands or must be reversed. The outcome could reshape how political security is managed in West Bengal.