High Court Denies APDR Stall at Kolkata Book Fair

The Calcutta High Court dismissed a petition filed by the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) seeking permission to set up a stall at the Kolkata Book Fair. The court ruled the plea non-maintainable as the Publishers and Booksellers' Guild is a private entity and APDR lacks a registration certificate.

The Calcutta High Court on Friday dismissed a petition by the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) seeking permission to set up a stall at the upcoming Kolkata Book Fair.

Justice Amrita Sinha ruled the plea non-maintainable, stating that the Publishers and Booksellers' Guild, a private organization that hosts the annual event, requires regular registration certificates for stall setups at the fair.

Representing the guild, the lawyer argued that the fair is exclusively for publishers and booksellers, which APDR does not qualify as, leading to the rejection of their request.

(With inputs from agencies.)