Woman lawyer moves Supreme Court over alleged threats, boycott by Kakdwip Court Bar Association

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the response of the Kakdwip Court Bar Association in a plea moved by a lady advocate alleging that she is facing threats from fellow lawyers and that lawyers who represent the contesting parties in a civil suit filed by her had restrained her from entering the courtroom..A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Pankaj Mithal issued notice on the plea today.The appeal has been moved by Bina Das, an advocate practicing in Kakdwip civil courts at South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.Das has challenged a Calcutta High Court order passed last November, whereby the High Court had dismissed her plea to transfer the matter to the High Court..Das alleged that the Bar had started boycotting her after she received 40 hours of training in mediation at the West Bengal Judicial Academy. The Kakdwip Bar Association is stated to have issued a show-cause notice to Das in this regard.As part of the boycott, Das also claimed that she was restrained from using the Bar Association's facilities and even the ladies' washroom within the court premises.She subsequently filed a civil suit for injunction against such actions, which is pending before a civil court. The injunction application had urged the court to restrain the counsel for the opposite parties from hindering Das from availing of common facilities and amenities.The memo of appearance to represent the parties contesting Das’ civil suit was signed by all members of the Bar Association except Das’ husband, she further submitted.Das has now moved for the Supreme Court’s intervention in the matter. Detailing the extent of the alleged boycott by the Kakdwip Bar Association, Das’ appeal further stated:"The petitioner (Das) is even denied by the typist of the said Learned Court to type any document which belongs to the petitioner and in fact, the petitioner is being restrained by several indirect methods by the opposite parties from taking any step in her other professional matters. Further all other Advocates are also not co-operating with the petitioner under the influence of the respondents /opposite parties. The petitioner states that the petitioner was not allowed to speak.".Das added that it has become a 'herculean task' for her to continue her legal practice smoothly. She further contended that the High Court ought to have treated the matter with requisite sympathy.Das has also urged the Supreme Court to pass an interim stay on the High Court order under challenge, apart from granting the injunction sought for in her civil suit..The plea by Das before the top court was argued and drawn by advocate Shiv Shankar Banerjee, and filed through advocate Mohini Priya.