Retiring Calcutta High Court Judge Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash Reveals RSS Membership

Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash, a judge of the Calcutta High Court who retired on Monday, made a candid revelation about his longstanding association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during his farewell speech. He credited the organization for significantly shaping his personality and instilling values of courage and patriotism.

Justice Dash, reflecting on his life and career, disclosed, “Today, I must unfold my true self. I owe a lot to one organization. I have been associated with the RSS since my childhood until I attained my youth. I have learned to be courageous, upright, have equal views for others, and above all, the sense of patriotism and commitment to the work wherever you work.”

He explicitly stated, “I must admit here that I was and I am a member of the RSS.” However, Justice Dash emphasized that upon becoming a judge, he distanced himself from the organization to ensure impartiality in his judicial duties. “I have distanced myself from the organization (RSS) for about 37 years due to the work I undertook. I never used the membership of my organization for any advancement of my career, because that is against our principle,” he said.

Justice Dash asserted his commitment to unbiased justice, “I have treated everybody at par, be it a Communist person, be it a BJP or Congress or even TMC (Trinamool Congress) person. I do not have any bias against anybody. I do not have any bias against any political personality. All were equal before me. I tried to dispense justice on two principles: one is empathy and second is law can be bent to do justice, but justice cannot be bent to suit the law.”

Justice Dash’s career began in Odisha where he enrolled as an advocate in 1986. In 1999, he entered the Odisha judicial service and served as Additional District and Sessions Judge in various parts of the state. He was subsequently appointed as Registrar (Administration) of the Orissa High Court.

Elevated as an additional judge of the Orissa High Court on October 10, 2009, he was transferred to the Calcutta High Court on June 20, 2022, where he continued his service until his retirement.

 If you like this story, share it with a friend!