The West Bengal government on Monday appointed five senior advocates to key positions in its legal panel, though the post of advocate general remains unfilled. Rajdeep Mazumder was appointed as additional advocate general, Nilanjan Bhattacharjee as senior standing counsel, Dibyendra Narayan Ray as government pleader, Nand Gopal Khaitan as advocate-on-record on the Original Side, and Kallol Mondal as public prosecutor.
Appointments and Backgrounds
Rajdeep Mazumder previously served as deputy solicitor general and represented the Central Bureau of Investigation in the RG Kar rape and murder case before the Calcutta High Court. Expressing his gratitude, Nand Gopal Khaitan stated, "It is a great honour for me to be appointed as the advocate-on-record for the Government of West Bengal. I will be able to contribute and be a part of the growth journey of my state."
Constitutional Context
The post of advocate general is a constitutional office, with the appointment made by the governor under Article 165 of the Constitution on the advice of the state council of ministers. Former advocate general Kishore Datta resigned after the assembly election results were declared on May 4. Following his resignation, other lawyers on the state panel also stepped down. Since May 5, the state has had no legal panel in place. The Calcutta High Court was informed of this situation and was requested to take up matters involving the state only after the new panel was constituted.
Legal Panel Changes
Lawyers at the high court noted that a change in the state's legal panel after a change in government is not unusual. "Whenever there is a government change, the state panel that will represent the Government of West Bengal in the high court also alters. It depends on the state whether they want to retain counsel, but usually they prefer a fresh panel," lawyers explained.
