NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday will hear an appeal filed by the West Bengal government challenging the Calcutta High Court’s decision to grant bail to Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj leader Sayan Lahiri, who was involved in protests against the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital and College on August 9.Lahiri was arrested on August 27 over his alleged role in leading the rally, which, the police said, turned violent, causing destruction of public and private property and attacks on police officers.A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will hear the matter.Following Lahiri’s arrest, his mother Anjali moved the Calcutta HC Court to quash the FIRs against him and grant him bail. And on August 30, the HC ordered his release from police custody by 2 pm on the next day. The Kolkata Police released Lahiri from its custody on SaturdayChallenging the bail order, the West Bengal government has appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn the HC’s decision.While granting bail to Lahiri, Justice Amrita Sinha of the high court observed that “had the RG Kar incident not occurred, there would not have been the existence of the Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj. Thousands of common people joined the protest rally. The status of the protestors cut through all barriers and boundaries. It cannot be said with certainty that it is only at the call of the son of the petitioner that there was such a huge turnout on the public streets, roads, and thoroughfares. The agitators and protestors were out in the streets seeking justice.”The Calcutta HC further emphasised that while the SC permitted the police to exercise their regulatory powers, it would be improper to use such powers to indiscriminately arrest protestors and create fear by keeping them behind bars.The court added that it is common knowledge that peaceful protests can quickly turn violent, due to various factors, and it is always within the police’s purview to take steps to regulate such protests.Anjali alleged that her son was targeted and harassed with multiple FIRs due to his active role in organising protests.Anjali, through her lawyers, argued in the HC that Sayan’s intent was to peacefully protest against the mala fide actions of the state police and that the protest, led by her son to the State Secretariat, was peaceful.Meanwhile, the police alleged that Lahiri, along with around 150 other agitators, assembled at the Jawaharlal Nehru Road and SN Banerjee Road crossing, commonly known as Dorinna Crossing, under the banner of Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj. They reportedly called for ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ and unlawfully assembled without prior permission, blocking roads and disrupting vehicular and pedestrian movement. “They allegedly raised slogans over the RG Kar Hospital incident and turned violent,” the police said.A woman postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the West Bengal government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier this month, triggering nationwide outrage.
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