‘Bangla Paksha’ founder and activist Garga Chatterjee was granted bail on Friday after spending ten days in custody. A Kolkata lower court approved his release upon a personal bond of Rs 2,000. Chatterjee was arrested on May 12 by the Kolkata Police for failing to appear for questioning related to alleged Model Code of Conduct violations during the recent West Bengal Assembly elections.
Questions arose when 24 rounds of bullets were found at Chatterjee’s residence during his arrest. Authorities claimed he lacked proper documentation for possessing the ammunition. The incident sparked concerns about why a language activist would have bullets in his possession. Chatterjee was remanded to police custody until May 22 after being presented in court on May 13.
Police accused Chatterjee of making inflammatory remarks during the elections and spreading misinformation about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The Election Commission of India (ECI) criticized his comments as an attempt to erode public trust in the democratic process. The ECI alleged that Chatterjee aimed to sow doubt about the reliability of EVMs during the polls.
Following a complaint by the ECI, action was taken by the cyber-crime department of the Kolkata Police. Chatterjee had raised concerns about alleged EVM malfunctions during the vote count for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. He also advised voters to verify Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) receipts before casting their ballots. Additionally, ‘Bangla Paksha’ accused the ECI of denying permission for a pre-election rally.
