Retired Calcutta High Court judge Indrajit Chattopadhyay has sought relief from duties at the Joka tribunal, citing the difficulty of travelling from his home in Salt Lake because of poor roads and severe traffic congestion. He has written to the office of the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court requesting that he be released from the tribunal’s work.
According to the letter described in the report, Chattopadhyay has to travel regularly from Salt Lake to Joka. Even with a pilot car, the journey to the tribunal takes around one and a half hours, while the return trip takes longer. He cited both traffic and the condition of the roads as reasons for the prolonged commute.
The retired judge described the roads as being in very poor condition and said the daily travel was creating substantial difficulty. His request is linked not to an unwillingness to continue the tribunal work itself, but to the practical demands of reaching the workplace over a long and difficult route.
Chattopadhyay reportedly said he had initially expected the tribunal’s work to be completed within two or three months. He had therefore decided to continue despite the travel difficulties for a limited period. He later understood that the process would take considerably longer and concluded that continuing the commute for an extended period would not be possible.
The letter leaves open the possibility of his continuing with the tribunal if the travel requirement is reduced. The judge has indicated that he would be able to work if he were assigned an office closer to his residence or permitted to work from home. Without such an arrangement, he has sought to be relieved of the tribunal assignment.
The development comes amid reported concerns over the disposal of applications before tribunals in West Bengal following the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR. The source report said a large number of applications are pending and that their disposal has been progressing slowly. There have also been demands for an increase in the number of judges working at the tribunals.
The case highlights how road conditions and travel time can affect the functioning of public institutions, particularly when judicial or quasi-judicial work requires regular movement across Kolkata’s expanding urban area. The reported journey connects Salt Lake in the city’s east with Joka in the south-west, making transport conditions a direct factor in the judge’s ability to attend the tribunal.
Chattopadhyay’s request follows the earlier resignation of former Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam from the tribunal, according to the report. The Chief Justice’s office will have to consider the request for relief and any possible arrangement involving a nearby office or remote work.
