Manindra Barman, a Bhawaiya folk artist, has lodged a police complaint, alleging that he received death threats from former north Bengal development minister Udayan Guha and other Trinamool Congress leaders for composing songs against corruption.
Barman lodged the complaint at the Mathabhanga police station in Cooch Behar district on Friday evening.
The Rajbanshi Bhawaiya folk artist, who is from Panigram in Mathabhanga, alleged in the complaint that he came under attack after composing and publishing songs highlighting corruption and other social issues.
“The facts leading to this complaint are that, while exercising my fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution of India, I composed, performed and published songs highlighting issues of public concern and raising awareness against corruption,” Barman stated in the complaint.
The singer further alleged that after the songs were published, “certain individuals became hostile towards me and started targeting me through various social media platforms. They used abusive language, issued threats to my life, and openly threatened to kill me”.
According to the complaint, the threats were not limited to social media. “Apart from social media intimidation, I also received threatening telephone calls, either directly from such persons or through their associates and supporters. These threats were intended to silence me and prevent me from expressing my views on matters of public importance,” Barman wrote.
The artist claimed that the alleged intimidation had severely affected his mental well-being and personal security.
“As a result of such continuous intimidation and threats, I have been living under constant fear and mental distress. I genuinely apprehend danger to my life and personal safety,” he stated.
The singer attributed the delay in filing the complaint to the involvement of politically influential individuals in the threats.
“The delay in lodging this complaint occurred because the persons involved and their associates were politically influential and actively supported the ruling political establishment during the period preceding the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly Election,” the complaint reads.
Barman said the repeated threats and fear of retaliation had prevented him from approaching the police earlier.
The singer said that he was prepared to submit screenshots, social media records and other evidence of the threats during the investigation.
The accused named in the complaint include Udayan Guha, former minister and Trinamool leader, Dipak Kumar Bhattacharjee, former president of the Trinamool Congress’s Dinhata Block 2 unit and one Rana Banik of Dinhata.
Both Guha and Bhattacharjee couldn’t be contacted for their reactions to the complaints as their phones were switched off.
A police source in Mathabhanga said an inquiry had been initiated after the complaint was received.