Justice Gaurang Kanth also instructed authorities to preserve footage from all CCTV cameras installed inside and outside Shekhawati Memorial School, which served as the counting centre.
Updated: June 23, 2026, 8:08 PM IST
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New Delhi: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered that all crucial evidence related to the counting process for the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in West Bengal be preserved. Hearing allegations of irregularities in the election results, the court directed that EVMs, VVPATs, CCTV footage, and other relevant records be securely maintained.
Justice Gaurang Kanth also instructed authorities to preserve footage from all CCTV cameras installed inside and outside Shekhawati Memorial School, which served as the counting centre.
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What Did Court Say?
The court stated, “These pieces of evidence will be examined if necessary. Without the court’s permission, they shall neither be erased, altered, destroyed, nor tampered with in any manner.”
The court further ordered that all concerned parties be impleaded in the case, including Suvendu Adhikari, his advisers Subrata Gupta and Sunil Agrawal. Suvendu Adhikari had defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency by 15,105 votes.
Mamata Challenges Her Defeat
On June 16, Mamata Banerjee approached the Calcutta High Court in person and filed a petition challenging the validity of the election result. She sought an investigation into the outcome, alleging serious irregularities in the counting process.
In her petition, she claimed that after 12 rounds of counting, she and her election agents were assaulted and forced out of the counting center. Mamata, who has represented Bhabanipur three times as an MLA, also alleged discrepancies in the vote-counting process and physical assault during the election.
Mamata Stayed in Strongroom for Four Hours On May 3
Assembly election results in West Bengal were declared on May 4. A day earlier, on May 3, a controversy erupted outside the counting center after TMC workers alleged that a car carrying BJP flags was allowed to enter the strongroom premises in Bhabanipur without proper checking. During this period, Mamata reportedly remained inside the strongroom for nearly four hours.
She also alleged that vote counting was deliberately halted at several constituencies and accused the BJP and the Election Commission of attempting to influence the election. According to her, central security forces were acting under pressure from the BJP.
Mamata Alleged Assault at Counting Centre
On May 4, Mamata visited the counting centre at Shekhawati Memorial School. After spending some time there, she told reporters that her polling agent had been forcibly removed. She alleged that she was pushed, assaulted, and prevented from entering the counting centre.
