<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/west-bengal" target="_blank">West Bengal</a> Congress spokesperson Kaustav Bagchi was granted bail by a court in Kolkata on Saturday evening, hours after <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/bengal-cong-spokesperson-kaustav-bagchi-arrested-for-comments-against-mamata-banerjee-1197127.html" target="_blank">being arrested</a> for his alleged comments against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.</p>.<p>A huge team of the Burtolla police station in Kolkata raided Bagchi's residence in Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district around 3.30 am, and arrested him after a few hours.</p>.<p>Bagchi, also a lawyer, was granted bail on a personal bail bond of Rs 1,000 by the additional chief metropolitan magistrate at Bankshall court.</p>.<p>The court directed him to meet the investigating officer once a week.</p>.<p>The prosecution prayed for Bagchi's police custody till March 10 for questioning him, alleging he was involved in a conspiracy.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/bengal-bypoll-result-doesn-t-reflect-future-state-elections-1197110.html" target="_blank">Bengal bypoll result doesn’t reflect future state elections</a></strong></p>.<p>Praying for bail, Bagchi's lawyers questioned why a lawyer was arrested by the police early in the morning from his residence, instead of serving him a notice.</p>.<p>The arrest was not necessary since the charges against him in the FIR do not entail a sentence of over seven years, his lawyers told the court.</p>.<p>Bagchi was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed at the Burtolla police station on Friday night by one Sumit Singh, who claimed to be a TMC supporter, for his alleged comments against the chief minister.</p>.<p>Bagchi allegedly criticised Banerjee for making "personal attacks" on state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury after the party snatched the Sagardighi seat in Murshidabad district from the TMC in a bypoll.</p>.<p>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) and 506 (criminal intimidation).</p>.<p>Congress workers protested against the arrest at various places across the state, including Baharampur and Kolkata.</p>.<p>The BJP's legal department at the Calcutta High Court also condemned the arrest.</p>.<p>"The BJP Legal Department strongly condemns the colourable exercise of power and police excesses by the state machinery," it said in a statement.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/west-bengal" target="_blank">West Bengal</a> Congress spokesperson Kaustav Bagchi was granted bail by a court in Kolkata on Saturday evening, hours after <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/bengal-cong-spokesperson-kaustav-bagchi-arrested-for-comments-against-mamata-banerjee-1197127.html" target="_blank">being arrested</a> for his alleged comments against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.</p>.<p>A huge team of the Burtolla police station in Kolkata raided Bagchi's residence in Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district around 3.30 am, and arrested him after a few hours.</p>.<p>Bagchi, also a lawyer, was granted bail on a personal bail bond of Rs 1,000 by the additional chief metropolitan magistrate at Bankshall court.</p>.<p>The court directed him to meet the investigating officer once a week.</p>.<p>The prosecution prayed for Bagchi's police custody till March 10 for questioning him, alleging he was involved in a conspiracy.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/bengal-bypoll-result-doesn-t-reflect-future-state-elections-1197110.html" target="_blank">Bengal bypoll result doesn’t reflect future state elections</a></strong></p>.<p>Praying for bail, Bagchi's lawyers questioned why a lawyer was arrested by the police early in the morning from his residence, instead of serving him a notice.</p>.<p>The arrest was not necessary since the charges against him in the FIR do not entail a sentence of over seven years, his lawyers told the court.</p>.<p>Bagchi was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed at the Burtolla police station on Friday night by one Sumit Singh, who claimed to be a TMC supporter, for his alleged comments against the chief minister.</p>.<p>Bagchi allegedly criticised Banerjee for making "personal attacks" on state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury after the party snatched the Sagardighi seat in Murshidabad district from the TMC in a bypoll.</p>.<p>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) and 506 (criminal intimidation).</p>.<p>Congress workers protested against the arrest at various places across the state, including Baharampur and Kolkata.</p>.<p>The BJP's legal department at the Calcutta High Court also condemned the arrest.</p>.<p>"The BJP Legal Department strongly condemns the colourable exercise of power and police excesses by the state machinery," it said in a statement.</p>