The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday stayed the FIR against West Bengal Congress spokesperson Kaustav Bagchi, who was arrested from his residence for his alleged comments against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Justice Rajasekhar Mantha has ordered that the case will be adjourned for the next four weeks. During this period, the police will not be able to take any new action against Bagchi.
Moreover, Justice Mantha directed the Police Commissioner of Kolkata to contact the concerned police station and submit a report to the court.
Mantha was arrested on Saturday (March 4) morning. A huge team of the city’s Burtolla police station had conducted a raid at Bagchi’s residence at Barrackpore in North 24-Parganas district in West Bengal around 3:30 am. A complaint was lodged against him at Burtolla police station on Friday (March 3) for his alleged comments against the Chief Minister.
Bagchi, a lawyer, had reacted sharply and allegedly criticised the CM and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee for her “personal attacks’’ on West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury after the Congress’ win in the Sagardighi bypolls. He was booked under several sections of the IPC, including 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy). 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), amongst others.