A protest by lawyers from Bankshall Court blocked roads at Dalhousie and along Strand Road in central Kolkata on Monday afternoon, disrupting traffic across several key routes and causing delays for office-goers, public transport users and other commuters.
The blockade began around 1pm, according to police, and affected movement through the central business district. Council House Street, BB Ganguly Street, Central Avenue and roads around Raj Bhavan witnessed congestion as vehicles were diverted from the blocked stretches. Traffic heading towards Howrah faced considerable delays after movement along Strand Road was affected.
The lawyers have been protesting since egg-hurling incidents were reported at court premises last week. One incident took place at Bankshall Court, while another was reported at the Baruipur court compound, a lawyer said. In the Bankshall incident, eggs were allegedly hurled towards an accused inside the court compound and hit a lawyer.
Police sources said no arrests had been made in connection with the two reported incidents and that investigations had been launched. The protesting lawyers alleged that police had failed to provide adequate security inside the court compound. Their demands included action against those responsible and improved protection for advocates working on court premises.
A senior lawyer from Alipore court who joined the protest said advocates were performing their professional duty by representing clients and questioned why eggs should be thrown at them. Protesters raised slogans demanding justice as the agitation moved onto the roads.
The demonstrations in recent days have included rallies, road blockades and disruption of court services. Monday’s action brought the dispute into one of Kolkata’s busiest weekday traffic zones, where Dalhousie functions as a major commercial and administrative centre. With vehicles unable to use the affected stretches, congestion spread to adjoining roads as diverted traffic accumulated at several points.
Traffic personnel were deployed in the affected areas to regulate movement and manage the disruption. Motorists were advised to avoid the blocked routes and use alternative roads wherever possible. Vehicles were seen moving slowly on connecting stretches, while roads around Raj Bhavan also experienced delays.
The blockade was withdrawn late in the afternoon, but traffic remained slow on several connecting roads as authorities worked to clear the accumulated vehicles. Police investigations into the reported egg-hurling incidents are continuing.
