KOLKATA: There is no place for
social boycott
of a citizen in a civilized society, the
Calcutta High Court
said on Wednesday. The HC was hearing a case in which a person was being ostracized by neighbours after he complained against the illegal construction of a temple in front of his property in Hooghly's Arambag.
"Any social boycott of a citizen or his family member has to be dealt with strictly by the administration. This has no place in a civilized society," said Justice Jay Sengupta, directing police authorities to keep a sharp vigil through frequent patrolling to ensure no breach of peace or violation of civil court order at the locale.
Somnath Mukherjee, advocate of Ranajit Mondal, told the HC that Mondal owns the property in Arambag. "Some people are trying to disturb him," he said. Mondal, he argued, had filed a case on this. Yet Mondal's rights are being violated, the lawyer said. "The prime bone of contention is a temple that was illegally constructed by the private respondents in front of the petitioner's property. When the petitioner objected there was a social boycott effected by the locals, including the private respondents," Mukherjee said.
Justice Sengupta said, "This is not permissible in law."
Mondal had obtained an interim order of injunction against the construction in November 2022 by an Arambag civil court that asked for a status quo to be kept for three feet wide and 40 feet length of passageway leading to the temple.
Local police had also taken steps to initiate proceedings under Section 107 of CrPC.
Justice Sengupta said while the parties can establish any further right in respect to the property before the civil court, "none of the parties have the right to take law in their own hands".
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