Calcutta HC imposes Rs 1 L ‘cost’ on itself

Kolkata, July 7  

The Calcutta High Court has set aside a punishment of compulsory retirement imposed on a lower court judge by the HC’s administration for allegedly overstepping his jurisdiction and has taken the rare action of imposing a “cost” of Rs 1 lakh on itself. 

Directing that the judge be reinstated immediately, a division Bench comprising Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Suvra Ghosh ordered that "costs assessed at Rs 1 lakh to be paid by the HC to the appellant.” 

Mintu Mallick, a judge and a railway magistrate at the Sealdah court, was suspended in 2007 and given the punishment of compulsory retirement in 2013 for hauling up a driver and a guard of a suburban train for habitual delay. The division bench on Thursday observed that the punishment was “disproportionate” and “shocking” even if the guilt was established. — PTI