Bengal cabinet clears two probe panels on institutional corruption and torture of women

Rashmi Pandey — Mon, 18 May 2026 10:49:40 +0000

CM Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced that the West Bengal cabinet has approved the formation of two separate inquiry panels headed by former High Court judges to investigate alleged institutional corruption and cases related to torture of women in the state.

Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Adhikari said the decision was part of the government’s effort to strengthen accountability, transparency and institutional oversight following recent concerns raised over governance and law-and-order issues in different parts of the state.

According to the Chief Minister, one committee will examine allegations of institutional corruption, including irregularities and misuse of administrative systems, while the second panel will investigate incidents related to alleged torture and atrocities against women.

Officials said both panels will be headed by retired High Court judges and are expected to function independently while submitting recommendations and findings to the state government.

The cabinet decision comes during the early phase of the new government’s tenure and follows a series of administrative and governance-related announcements made after the formation of the Adhikari-led cabinet.

Earlier, the Bengal cabinet approved land transfer to the Border Security Force for fencing work along the Bangladesh border and initiated implementation steps related to the Census exercise in the state.

Government officials stated that detailed terms of reference, operational procedures and timelines for the newly approved inquiry panels are expected to be notified separately.

The move is likely to trigger political debate in the state, where issues related to corruption allegations, women’s safety and administrative accountability have remained major political concerns in recent years.

Adhikari said the state government remains committed to ensuring institutional reforms and improving governance mechanisms across departments.

No names of the retired judges proposed to head the panels had been officially announced at the time of publication.

Further details regarding the scope of investigations and reporting structure are expected to be released by the state administration in the coming days.

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Bengal cabinet clears two probe panels on institutional corruption and torture of women