Debasree lodges defamation case against Sovan, Baisakhi

Kolkata: A defamation case was filed at Alipore Court against BJP leaders Sovan Chatterjee and Baisakhi Banerjee, alleging that their statement at a public rally recently affected the 'social prestige' of Trinamool Congress's Raidighi MLA Debasree Roy. The defamation suit was filed at the bench of Judicial Magistrate, Dalia Bhattacharjee, of Alipore court.

"One Ruksana Kanam, who is a resident of Raidighi in South 24-Parganas filed the defamation alleging that statements made by Chatterjee and Baisakhi Banerjee, which was aired in a private television channel, have affected the social image of Roy, who is also an actor of repute and an animal lover. The court has accepted the complaint," said senior advocate Tamal Mukherjee.

Advocate Pratim Bhattacharya informed that Roy appeared before the court on Saturday to deliver her witness statement.

Chatterjee, during a public meeting in Raidighi on January 22, had said he regretted having campaigned for the once-popular Bengali film actress in 2016 while he was in TMC. He had also alleged that Roy had made false promises and cheated the people of her constituency in South 24-Parganas district.

"He (Chatterjee) made false statements against me while campaigning at my constituency. Baisakhi Banerjee had launched a personal attack on me by saying that I am neither in politics nor in acting. She said I had sung songs at Deshapriya Park after Amphan. Who is she to make statements on my personal life? What I do is my personal choice," said Roy.

Black flags for BJP leaders

Sovan Chatterjee and Baisakhi Banerjee were shown black flags, brooms and shoes by people, mostly women, during their road show at Maheshtala in South 24-Parganas on Saturday afternoon.

The locals furnished banners condemning that they are ashamed of the duo's campaigning in the area.

Chatterjee, who started his rally from Zinzira

Bazar, and held a public meeting at Puratan Dakghar area alleged that such protest

was the handiwork of Trinamool Congress under the patronage of local MLA Dulal Das, who happens to be his father-in-law.

"The people of Maheshtala have not welcomed defectors like Sovan and the way he is leading his personal

life. It was a spontaneous

protest by the common people," said Das, who is also the chairman of Board of Administrators of Maheshtala Municipality.