Remove Ranjit Mallick as Kolkata sheriff: Plea in HC

A petition was filed in the Calcutta High Court Thursday seeking the removal of actor Ranjit Mallick as city sheriff contending that his participation in a Trinamool Congress rally was a brazen violation of law.

The famed Bengali actor known for his proximity to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had attended the July 21 rally of the Trinamool and addressed people from the dais.

"Appointed by the governor, a sheriff enjoys several statutory power and is an arm of the high court. Being a statutory authority, his attending a political rally is a brazen violation of law," said Aniruddha Lahiri, counsel for the petitioners.

Filed before the court of Justice Debangsu Basak, the petition will come up for hearing Aug 13.

Appointed under the Calcutta Sheriff's Act, 1948, and the Calcutta Sheriff Rules, 1950, a sheriff possesses several statutory powers including arrest in civil suits on court's orders and impose prohibitory orders, notices and writs to respondents.

"Like President Pranab Mukherjee despite being a Congress leader cannot participate in his party's public programmes, similarly a sheriff too cannot do that. By attending the rally, Mallick has belittled the post which has been held by noted luminaries in the past. So we have sought his removal," Lahiri said.

Mallick, who debuted in Mrinal Sen's 1970 film "Interview" and is known for films like "Guru Dakshina", "Amader Songsar" etc, was appointed sheriff Jan 1.