Mamata toon lands Bengal prof in soup

Ambikesh Mahapatra, a professor of physical chemistry, was arrested on Friday along with the secretary of the housing society where the professor lives, allegedly for sending a cartoon strip based on Satyajit Ray’s detective masterpiece on celluloid “Sonar Kella,” which shows Mamata Banerjee and Railways minister Mukul Roy discussing how to get rid of Trinamool’s Dinesh Trivedi, whom Mamata got removed as the railway minister. Mahapatra was later released on bail. 

In New Delhi, the Congress reacted cautiously over the arrest of the professor and sought to disapprove of the incident.

West Bengal’s Opposition parties and some human rights bodies contend that Mamata Banerjee is averse to criticism but a similar belief seems to prevail in some members of her own party. 

“Ambikesh Mahapatra was arrested late last night (Thursday) and has been booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information technology Act. The secretary of the housing society was also arrested. Mahapatra used the society’s registered e-mail ID to circulate the defamatory mail,” an official said.

Mahapatra was produced in court on Friday. He faces charges of outraging the modesty of a woman (punishable with a year’s imprisonment), defamation which carries a maximum term of two years and hacking, punishable with three years’ prison term and fine up to Rs 2 lakh, according to the official.

Relatives claimed that Trinamool Congress supporters harassed Mahapatra physically and then handed him over to the police. 

The arrest of Mahapatra drew  flak from all sections of society. “I have received the cartoon and I cannot fathom how it can be a cyber crime. It has been made in good humour. If he can be arrested today, then who knows? We may be arrested tomorrow,” rebel MP of Trinamool Congress Kabir Sumon said.

“This is not the change what one had desired. It is unfortunate. I cannot understand how she (Mamata Banerjee) can take such a step. It shows her impatience,” educationist Sunando Sanyal, who was once close to her, said.

“I don’t have firsthand knowledge of the incident and therefore it would be inappropriate to make any sweeping judgment,” said Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari in New Delhi, while responding to a question on the issue. He said the Congress always believed in the freedom of the right of expression granted by the Constitution, which is intrinsic to the democratic ethos of the country.

Recently, Mamata copped widespread criticism when it issued a circular limiting newswpapers to be bought for government-funded libraries eight newspapers—five Bengali, one Hindi and two Urdu dailies, reported close to the TMC and Mamata Banerjee.

Next, the government booted out Joint Commissioner (Crime) of Police Damayanti Sen who cracked the sensitive Park Street rape case single-handedly. 

The police officer is believed to have had a difference of opinion with the chief minister.

Mamata and the Kolkata Police Commissioner R K Pachnanda had termed the rape complaint as the “creation of the media” which was later proved to be wrong.

 Recently, the government stripped the financial powers of the “sabhadipatis” of North 24-Parganas, Murshidabad and Nadia—all controlled by the Left Front—and the powers were handed over to the respective district magistrates.

On Thursday, intellectuals who helped Mamata bring an end to the Left rule after 34 years, demonstrated after a group of men alleged to be anti-social elements and supported by the Trinamool Congress attacked a procession led by a human rights organisation in protest against the eviction of slum dwellers in east Kolkata's Nonadanga area.