( 1 ) THIS application and a number of other applications relate to a group of cases commonly described as "gherao" cases. The expression "gherao" is not entirely new, and already finds place in three Bengali dictionaries. But as will be presently described, it has now acquired a connotation and meaning which is entirely new. In its new garb it has acquired a semblance of enviable notoriety News of gheraos are now widely published in news-papers and are avidly read by the public Like many other words it may soon be considered as a contribution of West Bengal to semantics and I have no doubt that it will presently appear in all standard dictionaries in the English language The origin of the word "gherao" is not easy to ascertain. As I have already mentioned the word occurs in three Bengali dictionaries. In the dictionary compiled by Jnanendra Mohan Das, the word "gherao" is stated to have been derived from the Hindi word "ghirao" and means "covered or encircled". It is also mentioned that the word "gher" is derived from the Sanskrit word "ghri" which also means.-- "to cover or to encircle". The word "gherao" in this sense has also been mentioned in the "chalantika" and