Prof who shared Bengal CM’s cartoon acquitted after 11 yrs

KOLKATA: A local court in West Bengal has acquitted Ambikesh Mahapatra, a chemistry professor at Jadavpur University in Kolkata, nearly 11 years after he was arrested for forwarding an allegedly derogatory cartoon of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

“The discharge petition by the accused petitioner Ambikesh Mahapatra is allowed,” said the order of the additional sessions judge court on Thursday.

On April 12, 2012, a case was registered against Mahapatra at East Jadavpur police station after he forwarded an email allegedly containing derogatory cartoons of TMC chief Banerjee and party leader Mukul Roy, days after Roy was made the railways minister.

“He stands discharged from case number C1810 of 2016 relating to Purba Jadavpur police station case no 50 dated 12.04.2012. The bail bonds are discharged accordingly,” the court said.

Mahapatra was charged under Section 66A – sending offensive messages through communication service – of the Information Technology Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code. In 2015, the Supreme Court struck down Section 66A, citing it as unconstitutional.

“It is a big relief and a moral victory after a long battle. But what about those who assaulted me? Will they not be arrested?” Mahapatra told reporters.

Calling the court order “a victory for democracy”, Bengal BJP leader Rahul Sinha said: “Mamata Banerjee should apologise publicly. It is a slap on the government and it should take lessons.”

TMC leader Santanu Sen hit back, saying: “...We respect the judiciary. But those who are saying that democracy is being stifled should first check what is happening in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh where the TMC spokesperson (Saket Gokhale) was arrested thrice in a month and a journalist was stripped in a police station.”

Press Trust of India

AGARTALA: The Election Commission (EC) on Friday suspended a sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) and removed two officers in-charge (OCs) for “not taking appropriate action” during attack on a Congress bike rally in West Tripura, officials said.

The stringent move came after the Congress submitted a representation to the ECI on the violence in Majlishpur, barely 18 km from the capital town. Fifteen Congress leaders and workers, including AICC general secretary Ajay Kumar, suffered injuries in the attack earlier this week, party MLA Sudip Roy Barman has claimed. Shortly after the incident, the police registered three FIRs and arrested eight people for their alleged involvement.

“The chief secretary and the DGP were directed to ensure a level playing field for all political parties and to initiate strict action against partisan officers. The commission has directed them to take stringent action against the officers for not taking appropriate action in time,” ECI’s joint director Anuj Chandak said in a letter on Friday, ordering the suspension of Jirania SDPO along with the removal of OCs of two police stations.

According to superintendent of police (west) Sankar Debnath, three officers have been “closed”, and their replacements will take charge on Saturday.

Ambikesh Mahapatra, a chemistry professor at Jadavpur University, was arrested in 2012.