The Calcutta High Court issued a decisive ruling directing police authorities under the Sankrail Police Station in Howrah district to strictly enforce a subsisting civil court status quo order in an ongoing property ownership dispute. Adjudicating a writ petition filed in Ruma Chatterjee and Others v. State of West Bengal, the court emphasized that law enforcement agencies cannot remain passive bystanders when private parties violate binding civil injunctions. The bench reiterated that administrative and police authorities hold a constitutional duty to prevent unlawful encroachment and maintain public peace.
The petitioners had approached the High Court alleging that rival claimants were undertaking unauthorized construction on the disputed land in brazen defiance of an interim status quo order granted by a competent civil judge. The High Court directed the local police inspector to inspect the site immediately, halt any unauthorized physical alterations, and ensure that neither party disturbs the land’s physical character until final civil adjudication. The judicial ruling reinforces the authority of trial court civil injunctions, warning that law enforcement indifference toward judicial decrees undermines the rule of law.
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Sources:
https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/calcutta-high-court/authorities-must-ensure-proper-implementation-of-subsisting-civil-court-status-quo-order-calcutta-high-court-in-land-dispute-case-556798