Bar Council of India has asked the Bar Council of West Bengal to verify Mamata Banerjee’s enrolment and legal practice status after the former West Bengal Chief Minister appeared in advocate’s robes before the Calcutta High Court in a politically charged post-poll violence case.
The move followed Banerjee’s appearance on 14 May 2026 before a division bench led by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, where she made submissions in proceedings linked to alleged violence after the West Bengal Assembly election. The matter has drawn unusual attention because Banerjee, who served as Chief Minister from 2011 to 2026, entered court in lawyer’s attire, including the prescribed gown and bands, while remaining one of the country’s most prominent political figures.
BCI Principal Secretary Srimanto Sen wrote to the state bar council seeking factual details from its records, including Banerjee’s enrolment number, date of enrolment, whether her name continues on the state roll of advocates, whether she had suspended or ceased legal practice while holding constitutional office, and whether any application was filed to resume practice. The state body has been asked to furnish the information before 16 May.
The national regulator has not reached a finding on whether Banerjee’s courtroom appearance was permissible. Its letter framed the exercise as a verification of records, particularly because of the public office she held for 15 years. The distinction is important: enrolment as an advocate and active entitlement to practise are not always identical in regulatory terms, especially where questions arise over suspension, cessation, renewal of practice certification, or compliance with professional rules.
Banerjee appeared in the Calcutta High Court in proceedings arising from a public interest litigation concerning post-poll violence, alleged police inaction, displacement of party workers and demolition-related complaints. The petition sought protection for people who had fled their homes, registration of complaints, preservation of evidence and judicial oversight. During the hearing, she urged the court to protect citizens and said West Bengal was “not a bulldozer state”, a phrase that quickly became central to the political argument surrounding the case.
The bench directed the West Bengal government to strictly maintain law and order at the ground level and asked police to ensure the safe return of people who had left their homes fearing retaliatory violence, irrespective of political affiliation. The state was asked to file its affidavit-in-opposition within three weeks, with further time allowed for responses. The court kept the question of the petition’s maintainability open.
Banerjee’s legal appearance came days after a sharp change in West Bengal’s political landscape. The Bharatiya Janata Party won the Assembly election, ending Trinamool Congress rule after three consecutive terms. Banerjee herself lost the Bhabanipur contest to Suvendu Adhikari by more than 15,000 votes, deepening the political significance of her move from executive office to courtroom advocacy.
The episode has raised questions at the intersection of law, politics and professional regulation. Advocates are governed by rules on dress, conduct and eligibility to practise before courts. A person whose name remains on a state roll may still face questions over whether all procedural requirements for active practice have been met after years away from the profession. The BCI’s intervention therefore seeks documentary clarity rather than a public political assessment.
Trinamool Congress leaders have projected Banerjee’s appearance as an act of legal and political resistance at a moment when the party is alleging intimidation, displacement and misuse of state power after its electoral defeat. Leaders accompanying her included senior advocate and party MP Kalyan Banerjee, while the case itself was filed by advocate Sirsanya Bandopadhyay. The courtroom appearance also drew slogans and counter-slogans inside and outside the court complex, reflecting the heightened political mood in Kolkata.
