Kolkata Police began monitoring the decades-old Galiff Street market on Sunday after the Calcutta High Court ordered authorities to prevent unauthorised trading in pets, birds, fish and plants at the weekly bazaar. The enforcement action comes ahead of a September 30 deadline for the Bengal government to submit a status report on measures taken to curb illegal activity at the market.
The division bench of Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Arijit Banerjee issued the directions on September 16 after taking up the matter on its own in response to concerns over the sale of animals, birds and plants at the market. The court directed Kolkata Police to ensure that no unauthorised business or trading activity took place at Galiff Street from Sunday onwards.
The directions extend beyond the market’s usual Sunday operations. The court said the order would apply on any day when unauthorised trading or related activities were found at the site. This places responsibility on enforcement agencies to monitor the market not only during its weekly peak but also whenever prohibited activity is detected.
The court has also asked Customs authorities and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, West Bengal, to monitor markets of this kind. Their officers have been directed to visit in plain clothes or disguise to identify illegal trade, sale or smuggling and take action against those involved.
A specific concern before the court is the alleged trade in endangered bird species under permits purportedly issued by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The bench directed authorities to take effective steps to prohibit the sale, trading or smuggling of endangered birds even where such activities are claimed to be covered by municipal permits.
The court’s order also covers the sale and trading of pets, fish and plants. Its directions therefore extend beyond wildlife enforcement to the broader question of how a long-running urban market is licensed, monitored and regulated across different authorities. The involvement of the police, Customs, the state forest department and the municipal corporation reflects the overlapping responsibilities involved in controlling trade in living beings.
In addition to the government’s status report, the court directed the Registrar General of the high court to submit details of pending cases involving the sale or smuggling of living beings prohibited under law. The report must include the reasons for delays in deciding those cases before trial courts and is also due by September 30.
The matter will return before the high court on October 6. Until then, enforcement agencies are expected to continue monitoring Galiff Street and act against unauthorised trading or related activity identified at the market.
