Calcutta HC judges say 'no' to rename it as Kolkata HC

The judges also said if necessary they will make an appeal to President Pranab Mukherjee to maintain the tradition

Judges of Calcutta High Court have unanimously declined to accept the Centre's proposal for renaming it as Kolkata High Court and have communicated the view of the full court to Union Law Ministry.

"The Ministry is yet to revert on the issue," said a senior High Court official.

"The Full Court of High Court at Calcutta in a meeting held on July 11 unanimously declined to accept the proposal of the Government of India for changing the name of 'High Court of Judicature at Calcutta' to 'High Court of Judicature at Kolkata' in view of long history and tradition associated with the existing name of the High Court at Calcutta," High Court Registrar General Sugato Majumdar said in a communication to the Incorporated Law Society (ILS) here as per direction of the Chief Justice of the High Court.

In the communication to the ILS president, in reply to his letter to the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Justice Manjula Chellur protesting the Centre's decision, the registrar general said "the view of the Full Court has been communicated to the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India."

"The name Calcutta has its own grandeur and tradition, dignity and heritage and it should not be lost in oblivion," R K Khanna, president of ILS of Calcutta High Court said, adding "same would apply to Bombay and Madras."

"If necessary, we will make an appeal to the President of India to maintain the tradition," Khanna told PTI.

He said he hoped that as President Pranab Mukherjee hails from West Bengal, he would appreciate the sentiment.

"We totally support the resolution of the Full Court in this regard," Calcutta High Court Bar Association general secretary Suranjan Dasgupta said.

West Bengal Law Minister Moloy Ghatak could not be reached over phone despite several attempts for the state government's views in this regard.

The Calcutta High Court has the distinction of being the first High Court and one of the three Chartered High Courts to be set up in India, along with the High Courts of Bombay and Madras.

The High Court at Calcutta, formerly known as the High Court of Judicature at Fort William, was brought into existence by the Letters Patent dated May 14, 1862, issued under the High Court's Act, 1861.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had on July 5 said that the name of Calcutta High Court would be changed to Kolkata High Court alongwith Madras and Bombay High Courts.