Professor arrested for anti-Mamata cartoons

April 13, 2012

Prof


Kolkata, April 13: A Kolkata professor, Ambikesh Mahapatra, is learning the hard way that posting anti-Mamata Banerjee cartoons on social networking sites can mean big trouble in West Bengal. The professor was assaulted last night, allegedly by Trinamool Congress workers, and was arrested by the police soon after.

The chemistry professor at the prestigious Jadavpur University has been arrested on charges of eve-teasing (Section 509 of the IPC), defamation (Section 500 of the IPC, humiliating a woman (Section 114 of the IPC and Section 66 A (b) of the IT Act (causing offence using a computer).

Last night, when Professor Mahapatra was returning to his residence in Garia, a group of people, allegedly Trinamool activists attacked him and beat him up badly. Then the police arrived at his door and arrested him. Professor Mahapatra will be produced in an Alipore court today.

Professors at Jadavpur University have called an emergency meeting to discuss the matter.

The CPM has slammed the move. "Well, this is a clear assault on the democratic right or freedom of expression. She (Mamata Banerjee) decides on what people should read in library, tomorrow she will tell us what to think. Therefore, this is very much like what happened in Emergency. People of Bengal are experiencing what she means as 'change'. Many people make cartoons or ghastly expressions against the Left, but that's a person's expression. But she cannot tolerate a single word of criticism," said CPM leader Brinda Karat.

Last week, the state government was embroiled in a controversy when a committee set up by the Trinamool government to restructure the syllabus for higher secondary students reportedly recommended a much reduced emphasis on Marx and Engels in history textbooks. Amidst criticism, Ms Banerjee later said her government did not consider Marx or Lenin as "untouchables".

The syllabus review committee was set up after Mamata Banerjee won a historic victory in the elections last year, ending 34 years of governance by the Left. The committee was asked to modernise the syllabus of schools.

In yet another controversial move, the state government had instructed 2500 public libraries on what newspapers they can stock. Several leading papers including the Ananda Bazar Patrika and all English dailies were dropped. The Left's Sitaram Yechury had termed the decision "worse than censorship". Even those who visited libraries criticised the move.

Bowing to pressure, the Mamata Banerjee government included one English daily to the list of newspapers state-run libraries may keep.


Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
May 10,2020

Mumbai, May 10: A 32-year old man, running a bakery here has been arrested for alleged promotion of products using a tagline that said his firm does not employ Muslims, police said on Sunday.

The man, who is also selling his products online had allegedly said "made by Jains on orders, no Muslim staff" for promotion purposes in his WhatApp group.

A complaint was lodged against him saying the words depicted Muslims in a bad light and Mambalam police registered a case and arrested him, a release said adding a probe was on.

Recently, a man was arrested in Mumbai after he allegedly refused to collect groceries he had ordered online since the delivery person was a Muslim.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
February 11,2020

Mumbai, Feb 11: A 65-year-old woman was allegedly killed by her husband over debt and illness in suburban Powai here, police said on Tuesday.

The incident came to light when Sheela Ajit Lad was found dead by her neighbours at Sukh Shanti Co-operative Society at around 9.30 pm on Monday, an official said.

The victim was allegedly killed by her husband Ajit Lad, who hit her on the head with a heavy object, slit her wrists and strangled her to death, he said.

The accused absconded at around 7.30 pm, leaving a note at the crime scene, saying he was going to commit suicide and had killed his wife because he was heavily in debt and she was suffering from an ailment, the official said.

The childless couple lived alone in the apartment, he added.

"On the basis of the note, we have registered a case of murder against Ajit Lad and have launched a manhunt for him. We have not traced him or found his body as he had mentioned suicide in the note," deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Zone X Ankit Goyal said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
July 16,2020

Surat, Jul 16: Woman police constable Sunita Yadav, who had a confrontation with a minister's son over lockdown violation which led to his arrest here in Gujarat, claimed she has resigned from service. However, a senior police official has denied it.

Prakash Kanani, the son of Gujarat Minister of State for Health Kumar Kanani, and his two friends were arrested on Sunday for allegedly violating the lockdown and night curfew orders in Surat, a COVID-19 hotspot, a senior police official earlier said.

Yadav, who is being hailed on social media for taking action against the minister's son, told news channels on Wednesday that she had put in her papers.

"I have resigned because I did not receive support from my superior officers. I was only doing my duty as a constable. It's the fault of our system that these people (like the minister's son) think they are VVIPs (very very important persons)," she said.

However, a senior police official here denied that she has resigned.

"She has not given her resignation. The inquiry is still on and technically she cannot resign at this juncture," Surat Police Commissioner R B Brahmbhatt said.

Yadav's action had led to the registration of an FIR and arrest of Prakash Kanani and two of his friends for alleged violation of lockdown and curfew norms in Surat city.

The arrests came after a video of a heated exchange between them and Yadav, who pulled up the trio for violation of curfew, surfaced on social media. The trio was later released on bail.

Since the incident, Yadav is being hailed on social media.

While some social media users called her "Lady Singham" (referring to the tough cop in the Hindi film "Singham"), some suggested she contest the 2022 state Assembly polls against Kumar Kanani, who represents Varachha constituency in Surat district.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.