Calcutta HC Questions West Bengal Security Downgrade Process

Editorial Deep Dive & Context

The Calcutta High Court has reserved its verdict on a petition filed by Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee challenging the West Bengal government’s decision to reduce his security cover from Z-plus to X category. Justice Krishna Rao questioned the state administration regarding the procedural validity of the downgrade, which occurred shortly after the new BJP-led government took office in May 2026.

The court specifically asked why authorities did not convene an urgent review despite Banerjee’s reports of multiple attacks and failed representations for enhanced protection. Banerjee’s counsel, Senior Advocate Shoeb Alam, alleged that the reduction was politically motivated and executed without a formal meeting or decision by the authorized Security Review Committee.

He cited six alleged attacks on the MP and his family since the downgrade, including the demolition of a police post outside his residence by a JCB machine. The state government opposed the plea, arguing that security categorization is their prerogative and raising concerns about contempt proceedings over Banerjee’s social media remarks criticizing judicial delays. The core legal dispute centers on whether the state violated established protocols by acting on a recommendation rather than a committee decision, and whether the six-monthly review cycle should have been bypassed given the heightened threat perception.

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