Saikat Chatterjee at a meeting of the Trinamul Youth Congress in Jalpaiguri which Abhishek Banerjee also attended on Monday

Jalpaiguri, Nov. 19: The Jalpaiguri district Trinamul Youth Congress president accused of assaulting a traffic police constable in July surrendered in a court today after a purported nudge from the party leadership which felt embarrassed by his presence on the dais at a meeting addressed by MP Abhishek Banerjee.

Saikat Chatterjee surrendered before Santanu Dutta, the chief judicial magistrate, Jalpaiguri, and was granted bail. Police also submitted a chargesheet in the case today.

According to sources, Chatterjee had an altercation with Nripen Pal Choudhury, a traffic constable on duty in Jalpaiguri town, on July 17. The Trinamul leader, who is also a lawyer, allegedly slapped the constable during the fracas.

Chatterjee was driving a car before the alleged altercation took place at Dinbazar.

Following the incident, a case was registered at Kotwali police station and Chatterjee was booked under Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint) of the IPC. On August 12, he was also charged under Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the IPC.

“However, the police had shown no interest in arresting Chatterjee who was roaming freely. It was not that he had gone into hiding or was absconding. The youth leader was carrying on with his daily activities and even attended political programmes on a regular basis,” said a source.

Opposition parties alleged that the police had refused to take action against Chatterjee because of his political affiliation.

Things changed when Chatterjee was found sharing a dais with MP and Trinamul Youth Congress president Abhishek Banerjee, north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb and others at a public meeting organised by Jalpaiguri District Trinamul Youth Congress at FDI ground here on Monday.

“As the information reached Abhishek Banerjee and minister Deb that a case was pending against Chatterjee, he was asked to sit among leaders and not on the stage at another meeting convened by Alipurduar district Trinamul Congress in Alipurduar yesterday. The MP was present at yesterday’s meeting also,” said a party insider.

“Chatterjee was instructed to surrender before court as state leaders and ministers felt embarrassed by the fact that a Trinamul functionary wanted in a case was roaming freely. They also felt Chatterjee’s action could send a wrong message to the people,” said the Trinamul insider.

Chatterjee, who is a former councillor of Jalpaiguri municipality, said the case against him was politically motivated.

“As I learnt that police filed a chargesheet today, I appeared before court and appealed for bail. The court heard the case and granted me bail,” Chatterjee said after coming out of the court.

“I have been implicated in a false case because of a political conspiracy. I had not slapped the police constable but simply protested when he had asked for bribe,” he added.

The youth leader continued: “I was not absconding. As far as I know, no arrest warrant was pending against me.” Chatterjee was granted bail against a bond of Rs 1,000.

Santa Chatterjee, the assistant public prosecutor, said: “Police have finished the investigation and submitted a chargesheet today. Saikat Chatterjee is a lawyer and is available on the court premises. That is why I have not raised objections against his bail plea. The court has heard the case and granted bail to him.”