A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court expressed concerns on Monday regarding the swift actions taken by Krishnanagar Police in West Bengal’s Nadia district against an individual over a social media post related to Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra. The individual, Rishi Bagri, alleged that the police hastily filed an FIR and subsequently took aggressive measures against him merely because the complaint came from a Trinamool Congress MP. The case was heard on Monday, where the petitioner’s counsel highlighted that the FIR was lodged by Krishnanagar Kotwali Police Station based on a complaint received via email at 3:25 a.m. on February 7.
The complaint accused the petitioner of posting content on social media involving Mahua Moitra that was deemed “disrespectful,” “derogatory,” and “sexually suggestive.” Following the complaint, the police registered the FIR under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The petitioner’s counsel informed the court that according to the rules, if a complaint is filed digitally, the complainant must physically appear at the concerned police station to sign the complaint. However, even after three days, the complainant’s signature was absent from the complaint, raising questions on the validity of the FIR registration process.
The petitioner had not requested anticipatory bail but sought the Calcutta High Court’s intervention to quash the FIR. The state government’s counsel requested additional time to present arguments in the case. Justice Sengupta scheduled the next hearing for February 19 and instructed the state police not to take any coercive actions against the petitioner. Additionally, Justice Sengupta pondered whether the police’s swift actions were influenced by the complainant being a Trinamool Congress MP.
