The Bar Council of India (BCI), the official regulator for lawyers and legal education in India, on Thursday sought an “urgent” detailed report from the State Bar Council of West Bengal, on Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee’s eligibility to appear as a lawyer in Calcutta High Court.
Mamata appeared in lawyer's robes in Calcutta High Court on Thursday in a case related to the use of bulldozers to demolish unauthorised structures and post-poll attacks.
In a letter addressed to the secretary of the State Bar Council, the BCI principal secretary Srimanto Sen sought detailed information on Mamata’s eligibility to appear as a lawyer in consonance with the “professional conduct and etiquette applicable to advocates” under the BCI rules.
The letter notes that the former Bengal chief minister appeared in court "wearing advocate’s robes/ legal attire, including white bands".
"Ms. Mamata Banerjee served as Chief Minister of West Bengal from 2011 to 2026," the letter states.
"Having regard to the constitutional public office held by her during the said period, and without expressing any opinion at this stage on the permissibility or otherwise of such appearance, the Bar Council of India requires the factual status of her enrolment, practice, suspension, if any, and resumption, if any, to be verified from your records," it states.
It asks for information from the State Bar Council "within a period of two days i.e. before 16th May 2026" about Mamata's enrolment number, if enrolled with the State Bar Council of West Bengal, the date of her enrolment, whether her name continues on the state roll of advocates, whether she had, as the chief minister, given any intimation of voluntary suspension/ suspension of practice/ cessation from practice, whether any application/ intimation for resumption of practice was submitted by her thereafter and whether it was accepted, whether any certificate of practice/ relevant practice-status record in her favour is available, and whether the same is presently valid, active, suspended or otherwise.
Sen asked the State Bar Council to supply the information along with certified copies of all supporting documents and records available.
“The Secretary shall also certify that the copies furnished are true copies of the original records maintained in the ordinary course of official business and that the original records have been preserved and kept available for inspection, if so required," the letter says.
"Pending submission of the reply, the concerned original records shall be preserved in their present form and no alteration, correction, overwriting, interpolation or reconstruction of any record relating to the above subject may be undertaken except in accordance with law and after due intimation to the Bar Council of India," the letter adds, requesting the matter be treated "as urgent".