Siliguri: A courtroom in the Siliguri Sub-Divisional Court became the site of controversy after an accused person allegedly shouted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ during proceedings upon noticing that the presiding Judicial Magistrate was wearing a hijab. The incident took place in Court No. 4, where 24 accused persons had been directed to appear in connection with a case dating back to 2018.
The case originates from an incident in 2018 involving an interfaith marriage. At the time, a group of individuals raised allegations of ‘love jihad’ and marched from Baghajatin Park toward the Siliguri Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s office on Hill Cart Road to submit a memorandum. Police registered a case against 24 people following that incident. While some of the accused had already obtained bail, warrants were issued against others, requiring their appearance before the court.
During the attendance process, as names were being called out, one of the accused allegedly looked toward the judge and shouted the slogan. The incident caused a commotion inside the courtroom.
The accused’s lawyer, Tridip Saha, immediately tendered an unconditional apology to the court. Saha described the incident as inadvertent and argued that phrases like ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Radhe Radhe’ are sometimes used as greetings. He said the accused uttered the phrase without realising its implications in the courtroom setting. ‘This was not directed at the judge. When the names were being called, one of the accused uttered the words without realising the implications. Nevertheless, we apologised immediately,’ Saha told the court.
The incident drew sharp criticism from the legal community. Uday Shankar Malakar, president of the Siliguri Bar Association, described the episode as ‘completely untoward’ and said such conduct is not appropriate inside a courtroom. He noted that the court had the option to initiate suo motu proceedings.
Dibakar Roy, Darjeeling district secretary of the All India Lawyers Association, stressed the need to protect the neutrality and dignity of court proceedings. He said a courtroom is a forum for impartial justice and must remain separate from religious and political controversies. Roy stated that religious or political slogans should not be raised inside a courtroom under any circumstances.
