IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA CONSTITUTIONAL WRIT JURISDICTION APPELLATE SIDE Before:

The Hon’ble Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and The Hon’ble Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya W.P.A. (P)/318/2025 PRASENJIT BHAKAT GUPTA @

PRASENJIT PRASAD GUPTA (BHAKAT)

VS.

THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.

With C.P.A.N./192/2024 PAKUAHAT SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETY AND ORS.

VS.

NITIN SINGHANIA, THE DIST. MAGISTRATE, MALDA AND ORS.

With R.V.W./129/2024 ZARINA RESHMA AND ORS.

VS.

STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.

With W.P.A. (P)/263/2021 PAKUAHAT SOCIAL WELFARE SO. AND ORS.

VS.

THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.

IA NO: CAN/2/2023 CAN/3/2023 CAN/4/2024 CAN/5/2024 CAN/6/2024 CAN/7/2024 CAN/8/2025 With W.P.A. (P)/265/2024 RIYAJUDDIN SARKAR AND ORS.

VS.

THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.

IA NO: CAN/1/2025 CAN/2/2026 With W.P.A. (P)/312/2024 BIBHAS CHANDRA KAR AND ORS.

VS.

THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.

With W.P.A. (P)/498/2024 CHITTARANJAN KARMAKAR AND ORS.

VS.

THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.

With W.P.A. (P)/51/2024 ASHOKANANDA HAZRA VS THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.

With IA NO: CAN/1/2024 CAN/2/2025 With W.P.A. (P)/73/2025 SAHAJAHAN ALI & ORS.

VS.

THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.

With W.P.A. (P)/ 540/ 2025 ASHOK KUMAR BARMAN AND ORS.

VS.

THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL & ORS.

For the petitioner in WPA(P) 318/2025 : Mr. Brajesh Jha Mr. Neal Chakraborty Mr. P. Upadhay For the Applicant/petitioner In RVW 129/2024, WPA(P) 498/2024 : Mr. Saptanshu Basu, Sr. Adv.

Mr. Partha Pratim Roy Mr. Dyutiman Banerjee Mr. Samrat Chakraborty Mr. Saikat Gayen For the Applicant in CAN 1 of 2024 in WPA (P) 51/2024 : Mr. Pramit Bag Ms. Mayuri Ghosh Ms. Samarpita Mukherjee For the Petitioners in CPAN 192 of 2024, W.P.A. (P) 263 of 2021 : Mr. Sarowar Jahan Mr. Amit Bikram Mahata Mr. Aditya Bikram Mahata For the Pvt. Respondent in RVW 129 of 2024 : Mr. Sarowar Jahan Mr. Amit Bikram Mahata Mr. Aditya Bikram Mahata For the applicant in CAN 2 of 2024, CAN 3 of 2024 in WPA(P) 263/2021 : Mr. Biswaranjan Bhakat Mr. Anup Dasgupta For the petitioners in WPA(P) 265/2024 : Mr. Saktinath Mukherjee, Sr. Adv.

Mr. Uday Narayan Betal Mr. Bhaskar Hutait For the Petitioners in WPA(P) 51/2024 : Mr. Haradhan Bandopadhyay Mr. Subhadip Biswas Mr. Ratul Das For the petitioner in WPA(P) 312/2024 : Mr. B. N. Ray Ms. Shetparna Ray For Respondent No.19 in WPA(P) 318 of 2025 : Mr. Arindam Chandra Mr. Atish Ghosh Ms. Neha Gupta For the WBSEDCL in WPA(P) 318/2025 : Ms. Susmita Chatterjee For the State in WPA(P) 540/2025 : Mr. Amal Kr. Sen, Ld. A.A.G.

Mr. Lal Mohan Basu For the State in RVW 129 of 2024 W.P.A. (P) 263 of 2021, W.P.A. (P) 265 of 2024 : Mr. Kishore Dutta, Ld. A.G.

Sk. Md. Galib, Sr, Govt. Adv.

For the State in WPA(P) 265 of 2024 : Mr. Jahar Lal De, Ld. AGP Mr. Rudranil De For the State in W.P.A. (P) 312 of 2024, W.P.A. (P) 498 of 2024 : Sk. Md. Galib, Sr. Govt. Adv.

Ms. Sujata Mukherjee Abu Siddiqui Mallick For the State in WPA(P) 73/2025 : Mr. Sk. Md. Galib Mr. Manish Biswas For the Applicants in W.P.A. (P) 540 of 2025 : Mr. Arunava Maity Ms. Pujali Das Gupta For the Pvt. Respondent Nos.6 to 10 in W.P.A. (P) 540 of 2025 : Mr. Sarwar Jahan Mr. A. B. Mahata For the Applicants in CAN 1 of 2025 in WPA (P) 265 of 2024 : Mr. Jaydip Kar Mr. Dyutiman Banerjee Mr. Debjit Dutta Reserved on : 21.01.2026 Judgment on : 27.02.2026 Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, J.:-

1. A Public Interest Litigation being WPA (P) 263 of 2021 was filed by Pakuahat Social Welfare Society and others praying for a direction upon the respondent authorities to make a proper enquiry with regard to illegal transfer of the “Hat” and to take appropriate action against the illegal transfer of government properties.

2. Pakuahat is a Hat situated at Mirjapur under Bamangola Police Station in the district of Malda. It was alleged in the said Public Interest Litigation (for short “PIL”) that in the year 1980, the lands of the Hat were transferred by the recorded owners though the lands of the said Hat stood vested to the State free from all encumbrances.

3. The said PIL was disposed of by an ord