Representational photo.

KOLKATA: The raging heat across Bengal over ‘cut money’ allegations found a mention at the Calcutta high court on Wednesday when a senior lawyer said “even judges were not above question”. This came after a high court bench accused Trinamool Congress and the state administration of denying equal opportunity to the opposition during Tuesday’s Bongaon Municipality trust vote.

Senior lawyer and Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee, responding to Justice Samapti Chatterjee, said, “I know how people become judges... I also know how many judges have been allotted land in Salt Lake.” The bench had taken serious exception to the role of the chairman and the police during Tuesday’s trust vote in Bongaon Municipality.

Justice Chatterjee responded: “Our family is in this profession for decades. No one can point fingers at us. But things are changing nowadays. Lawyers having less than 10 years’ experience in the profession are occupying important posts in HC government lawyers’ panels. I know how assets of some people have increased. Some people are ready to give while some are ready to take. This is the cut money concept.”

Banerjee, who later apologised to the judge for his remarks, rose to speak after Justice Chatterjee snubbed lawyer Debdatta Saha Roy, who represented the Bongaon Municipality chairman.

“What has happened in Bongaon is unfortunate. Two councillors were denied entry into the meeting despite a court order. The police did not do anything. And all this happened at the indulgence of the chairman and his supporters. People vote for someone who changes loyalties after getting elected,” Justice Chatterjee said.

This prompted Banerjee to respond with a question: “Do you know that the BJP spent Rs 20 lakh on the Calcutta High Court Bar Association elections last week?”

Justice Chatterjee, while dwelling on the Bongaon Municipality issue, told the petitioners to come up with a separate application on the trust vote proceedings before the court admitted the matter for hearing.