Sheriff of Kolkata
The Sheriff of Kolkata is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Kolkata. The Sheriff has an office and staff but does not have executive powers. In the order of precedence, the Sheriff ranks just below the Mayor. Mumbai and Kolkata (Calcutta) are the only cities in India to maintain this post. He has a separate office in Calcutta High Court.
The Sheriff presides over various city-related functions and conferences and is in charge of receiving foreign guests of the government.
Amal Chakraborty, a pediatrician, has been the sheriff of Kolkata from January 1, 2006.[1] He took charge from prominent sportsperson Chuni Goswami.
In 2010, Mr. Utpal Chatterjee, professor of IISWBM has been appointed the Sheriff of Kolkata.
In 2013, Dr. Swapankumar Ghosh, a notable physician has been appointed the Sheriff of Kolkata.
Notable persons in this post
Persons to hold this office include:
- Seth Arratoon Apcar ( First Armenian Sheriff of Kolkata)
- Mackertich John.
- Smt.Suchitra Mitra, the first women to be elected to this post (2001)[2]
- Sunil Gangopadhyay (2002)
- Baron Cable (1905)
- Mahendralal Sarkar (1887)
- Raja Digambar Mitra (1817-1879), politician and writer and the first Bengali Sheriff (1874)
- Manekji Rustamji, the first Indian Sheriff (1873)
- James McKilligin (1846)
- David Hare (philanthropist) (1840)
- James Mackay, 1st Earl of Inchcape
- George Yule