Calcutta HC raps Kolkata Police chief for ignoring court order in cellphone theft case

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday rapped the Kolkata Police Commissioner for allegedly ignoring an earlier court order in a case related to a mobile phone theft.

The single-judge bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha also directed Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal to remain present for the hearing in virtual mode on March 22, and explain why the court should not order a department probe against him for not adhering to its order.

“A court order is not a matter of child’s play. Doesn't the police take orders from the high court seriously? Why should the court not order a department probe against him,” Justice Mantha questioned.

In 2022, the Calcutta High Court had directed the Commissioner to submit a report to the court based on the CCTV footage from the roadside cameras on a particular stretch of road in south Kolkata.

The court also directed to collect all the data from the mobile service providers concerned and submit the same to the court.

The Commissioner was directed by the court to preserve all the CCTV footage as well.

However, it came to the notice of the court that many of these orders passed in 2022 were not adhered to.

At the same time, instead of the Commissioner submitting the report, the officer-in-charge of a particular police station submitted the same on behalf of the top cop.

As the matter was brought to the notice of this bench on Friday, Justice Mantha got irked and said: “The police are making a mockery of the court order. Please do not forget the authority of the court. Does the police think that they can get away by ignoring a court order."