Bengal Congress leader Koustav Bagchi was released on bail from Bankshall Court on Saturday afternoon hours after the police arrested him from his home in Barrackpore for a personal attack on chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
The arrest triggered an intense debate in political circles as the Opposition called it “an assault” on democracy and freedom of speech while Trinamul argued that the police action was justified as Bagchi engaged in “personal slander”.
The trigger behind the arrest of Bagchi, a popular figure on television debates, was a news meet he held in response to comments Mamata made on “personal matters” related to state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday.
The police made the arrest following a complaint that was filed by one Sumit Singh of Nilmoni Mitra Street with Burtolla police in north Calcutta on Friday. Singh alleged Bagchi’s comments were aimed at insulting the “modesty of our honourable chief minister” and provoking “breach of peace.” He said Bagchi made “vulgar remarks” about the chief minister’s personal life.
Early on Saturday, a team from Burtolla police station reached Bagchi’s home in Talpukur of Barrackpore and arrested him. Bagchi was charged with several sections under the IPC, including intentional insult provoking breach of peace, insulting the modesty of a woman, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy.
“The arrest is illegal. The police do not have the necessary documents to arrest me,” Bagchi said immediately after he was rounded up. “It is my political victory that mother-like Mamata Banerjee got afraid of son-like Koustav Bagchi.”
Later in the day, contesting the arrest, senior CPM leader and advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya asked the court whether Bagchi was a militant that the police had to reach his home around 3 am.
Others wondered why no notice under section 41 A of the CrPC — notice of appearance before a police officer— was served on Bagchi. The lawyer representing the state, however, argued that Bagchi’s remarks were made with an intention to disturb the peace and his custody was required for investigation.
The additional chief metropolitan magistrate later granted Bagchi bail against a bail bond of Rs 1,000. The next hearing is on April 5.
With panchayat polls a couple of months away, the arrest of Bagchi, a Congress spokesperson, will rule the political discourse, said a political observer. Bagchi, after coming out on bail, shaved his head and said it would stay tonsured till the Trinamul government was in Bengal.
The Congress and Left, which recently put up a joint fight against Trinamul in the Sagardighi bypoll and won, took to the streets across Bengal to protest the arrest. Even the BJP joined the chorus in condemning the arrest, as did Nawsad Siddique, the ISF MLA released on bail after spending 42 days behind bars.
Author and academician Pabitra Sarkar, human rights activist Sujato Bhadra and actor Koushik Sen decried the police action on Bagchi. Kunal Ghosh, Trinamul spokesperson, spoke against the police action in a long Facebook post and said it would draw unnecessary attention to Bagchi. Other senior party leaders, such as state minister Sashi Panja and MP Santanu Sen, toed the official party line
