W Bengal police chief faces jail

By Subir Bhaumik
BBC News, Calcutta

Experts say the sentencing is highly unusual

The chief of police in India's West Bengal state has been sentenced to six months in jail for contempt of court.

Anup Vohra was found guilty of obstructing the functioning of a court in the northern town of Jalpaiguri.

Three state officials and 14 others, including a state assembly legislator, were found guilty of the same charges and also sentenced to six-month terms.

They were given three months to appeal before going to jail. Legal experts called the ruling unprecedented.

Appeals

The Calcutta High Court judges said police had failed to ensure the functioning of the Jalpaiguri district court for a month.

State police and the Jalpaiguri district administration not only failed in their constitutional duty to keep the court open from 15 December, but also did not submit the full facts of the matter to the Calcutta High Court despite repeated reminders, the ruling said.

Mr Vohra, director general of West Bengal police, and three district officials in Jalpaiguri were guilty of criminal contempt that merited six month's imprisonment, the judges said.

Fourteen political activists, including local legislator Debo Prasad Ray of the Congress party, were given similar punishment.

However, the judges allowed a three-month respite before their order was enforced so that those convicted could have enough time to appeal to the Supreme Court.

West Bengal's Advocate General, Balai Roy, said the government would definitely appeal.

Legal experts said the ruling was unprecedented and would damage the image of West Bengal's coalition government.

The High Court has recently called the state government to account over several issues, including the acquisition of farmland in Singur for a proposed motor car factory by the Tata manufacturing group.