Suvendu Adhikari Files ₹100 Crore Defamation Suit Against Mamata Banerjee

Major Legal Battle in West Bengal Politics

In a significant development in West Bengal's political and legal landscape, opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari has officially filed a defamation lawsuit against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for ₹100 crore. This lawsuit was submitted on January 16, 2026, at the Alipore Court in Kolkata. The legal action stems from public statements made by Banerjee on January 8 and 9, 2026, where she allegedly linked Adhikari and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to an illegal coal smuggling operation.

Adhikari took to social media to announce that he filed the suit after receiving no response to the defamation notice sent to Banerjee. In a post on the platform 'X', he stated, 'Mamata Banerjee, I honor my words while you confuse issues and people.'

He further emphasized that Banerjee's misleading silence regarding the defamatory allegations related to his supposed involvement in the coal scam would not aid her in overcoming this situation. Sharing an image of the filed case, Adhikari remarked, 'I have fulfilled my promise to drag you to court over your deceitful conspiracy and have today filed a lawsuit against you.'

Political Context and Timing

The timing of this lawsuit is particularly crucial as West Bengal approaches the 2026 assembly elections. This legal confrontation follows a week of heightened tensions, which included a raid by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the office of the political consultancy firm I-PAC, an action that the Chief Minister vehemently opposed.