Courts start feeling SIR pinch as judicial officers begin scrutiny work

Kolkata: At 12.30 pm on Monday, the corridors of the District Civil and Sessions Court in Alipore wore an unusual look. Instead of the steady hum of arguments and courtroom exchanges, groups of lawyers stood clustered outside Additional District Judges' (ADJ) courts, scanning their phone calendars and relaying fresh hearing dates to anxious clients.

The reason was administrative but far-reaching. All 16 ADJs and the district judge at Alipore were released from their regular judicial duties to adjudicate SIR hearings. Across Bengal, nearly 200 judicial officers began SIR adjudication work on Monday, triggering adjournments in hundreds of cases.


"The ADJ was here in the morning but left soon after. We were told there would be no fresh hearing in his court for the next 2 weeks. Important cases will be heard by fast track courts, but all other civil and criminal matters will now be taken up after March 9," said advocate Shaktipada Maity, who had 5 matters listed on Monday. Three of those could not be heard because of the judge's absence. Maity said 2 rent control matters were taken up by a special court.

The disruption was not limited to civil matters. Senior lawyer Md Sahabuddin said he was scheduled to appear in 3 serious criminal cases involving charges of murder, sexual assault and wrongful restraint. "None of the cases were heard today. We were given dates later this year," he said, underlining the cascading effect of the temporary judicial reshuffle.

According to Anirban Guha Thakurta, a senior criminal lawyer in Alipore, only urgent matters are being entertained for now. "Bail applications, custody trial matters and other pressing issues are being taken up by the third fast track judge, Souvik Dey, who is currently in charge of the district and sessions judge's responsibilities in Alipore for the next 2 weeks," he said.

For litigants, many of whom travelled long distances with hopes of closure, the uncertainty was palpable.

Kartik Samanta, a resident of Baruipur, was embroiled in a property dispute with his cousins for over 2 years. "I thought the issue would finally be resolved this month. With today's hearing cancelled, I don't know when the case will be heard again," he said.

Dibakar Gayen, from Mathurapur, arrived with family members to attend a hearing in a criminal case in which he was accused of illegally hooking electricity to run a motorised pump and 2 lights at a temporary shed near his farmland. Maintaining his innocence, Gayen said he was prepared to depose before the court. "I am the landowner. The alleged wrongdoing was done by others cultivating the land. Now the hearing has been postponed for 2 months," he said.

The scene at Alipore mirrored across district courts in the state. Officials said 2 ADJs each in Baruipur and Sealdah were released for SIR work. Barasat saw 3 ADJs reassigned, while Barrackpore had 8 judicial officers deputed for the same purpose.

On Saturday, the HC administration cancelled the leave of all senior district judges till March 9 to facilitate scrutiny of documents related to 45 lakh disputed SIR cases.