National anthem case: Bombay High Court refuses to grant Mamata Banerjee relief

The Bombay High Court has refused to grant any relief to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a complaint seeking action against her for allegedly disrespecting the national anthem at an event in 2022.

The HC dismissed the application filed by Mamata Banerjee challenging a sessions court's order of January 2023 referring the matter back to the magistrate's court for inquiry. Banerjee in her application had said the sessions court, instead of quashing the summons ought to have quashed the entire complaint.

A magistrate's court in March 2022 issued a summons to Mamata Banerjee on the complaint filed by activist Vivekanand Gupta alleging that during a public function at Yashwantrao Chavan Auditorium at Cuffe Parade in Mumbai, Mamata Banerjee had started singing the National Anthem in the sitting position, and later standing up and singing two verses before abruptly stopping and leaving the venue.

The West Bengal Chief Minister had challenged the summons before the special court.