<p> West Bengal Police Friday dropped defamation charges against Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra who was earlier arrested for circulating emails mocking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Police, in the charge sheet filed Friday in a South 24 Parganas court, charged Mahapatra only under section 66A of the Information Technology Act which penalizes "sending false and offensive messages through communication services".<br /><br />In the first information report (FIR), Mahapatra was booked under Indian Penal Code for defamation punishable with two years imprisonment and outraging modesty of woman which carries a maximum punishment of one year simple imprisonment.<br /><br />The arrest of Mahapatra in April this year was widely condemned but Banerjee justified the administrative action and went on to say the circulation of the mail was a part of "conspiracy to eliminate me". She even branded the professor a "CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) man".<br /><br />Banerjee also walked out of a TV show after being asked uncomfortable questions over the issue.<br /><br />Following much hue and cry generated by his arrest, Mahapatra was granted bail the next day.<br /><br />Later, the West Bengal Human Rights Commission taking suo motto cognisance of the case, not only recommended departmental proceedings against two police officers for being "over-zealous" but also ordered the state government to pay compensation to Rs. 50,000 to Mahapatra and his neighbour who too was arrested for the crime.<br /><br />Expressing happiness over the dropping of the charges, Mahapatra Friday said: "Justice has finally prevailed but still there is a charge against me under the IT Act and I wish I am exonerated of it."</p>
<p> West Bengal Police Friday dropped defamation charges against Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra who was earlier arrested for circulating emails mocking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Police, in the charge sheet filed Friday in a South 24 Parganas court, charged Mahapatra only under section 66A of the Information Technology Act which penalizes "sending false and offensive messages through communication services".<br /><br />In the first information report (FIR), Mahapatra was booked under Indian Penal Code for defamation punishable with two years imprisonment and outraging modesty of woman which carries a maximum punishment of one year simple imprisonment.<br /><br />The arrest of Mahapatra in April this year was widely condemned but Banerjee justified the administrative action and went on to say the circulation of the mail was a part of "conspiracy to eliminate me". She even branded the professor a "CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) man".<br /><br />Banerjee also walked out of a TV show after being asked uncomfortable questions over the issue.<br /><br />Following much hue and cry generated by his arrest, Mahapatra was granted bail the next day.<br /><br />Later, the West Bengal Human Rights Commission taking suo motto cognisance of the case, not only recommended departmental proceedings against two police officers for being "over-zealous" but also ordered the state government to pay compensation to Rs. 50,000 to Mahapatra and his neighbour who too was arrested for the crime.<br /><br />Expressing happiness over the dropping of the charges, Mahapatra Friday said: "Justice has finally prevailed but still there is a charge against me under the IT Act and I wish I am exonerated of it."</p>