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A day after arrest in Tripura, TMC leader Saayoni Ghosh released on bail
Ghosh’s arrest came after she reportedly disrupted chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb’s civic poll rally in Agartala on Saturday night
Actor-turned Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Saayoni Ghosh has been granted bail from a local court of Tripura, a day after her arrest over attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and promoting enmity between two groups, officials said.
Ghosh’s arrest came after she reportedly disrupted chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb’s civic poll rally in Agartala on Saturday night by shouting ‘ Khela Hobe’ (Game On) and pelting stones at the rally.
‘Khela Hobe’ is a poll slogan of Trinamool Congress during Bengal Assembly polls earlier this year.
East Agartala Women police lodged a case against Ghosh under Sections 153 (promoting enmity between different groups), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion), 506 (criminal intimidation), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
“The court didn’t find any ingredients of Sections 307 and 153A charged against Sayani Ghosh. Moreover, contradictions have been noticed in the FIR copy and the court forwarding copy. The court granted her bail on a bail bond of Rs. 20,000,” said counsel Shankar Lodh who moved for bail petition of Ghosh at the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Agartala.
Following Sayani’s arrest on Sunday, the TMC alleged that they were attacked in the premises of East Agartala Women Police Station reportedly by the BJP cadres.
The BJP denied the allegation of involvement of their activists and later claimed that Trinamool Congress, CPM and Congress are in a ‘shadow alliance’ with a motto to malign Tripura.
After arriving at Agartala today, Abhishek Banerjee told the reporters that they moved to the Supreme Court accusing the Tripura government of contempt of court and challenged that he would defeat Biplab Deb in the apex court. He further said that he would drag Deb to the apex court saying that his government is autocratic.
Regarding Sayani Ghosh’s arrest, Banerjee said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi in West Bengal said ‘Khela Hobe’ and addressed chief minister Mamata Banerjee in an ugly way.
“If Prime Minister said this, was it not criminal intimidation? But there is a basic difference between us and them and we will not follow their footsteps in this case,” he said.
He alleged that his party activists were attacked in the East Agartala Women Police Station premises with the instigation of Biplab Kumar Deb.
He also reacted to the BJP’s allegation of ‘shadow alliance’ of TMC with CPM and Congress, Banerjee said, “The BJP was rattled with our entry into Tripura. They are scared to death. Why didn’t they raise this allegation four months ago?”
Reacting to that, Tripura Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said, “They (TMC) always threaten to go to Supreme Court. And we will speak on November 28 (after vote counting of civic polls). Then, they should not say that free and fair poll was not held and they should not hide their face. I know, they will allege of unfair poll on that day too.”
Naming the TMC as ‘bargi’ (dacoits), Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment said, “They (TMC) came here from outside to create disturbances and deteriorate law and order situation. Our culture is that of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya, Rishi Aurobindo, Swami Vivekananda. Whatever we see in Bengal, is not our Bengali culture, it’s the culture of bargis. Actually, they came here to hide their failures as they lost their faces throughout the country since the Bengal Assembly polls this year. “
Both the BJP and TMC appealed to the voters to exercise their franchise in the civic polls scheduled to be held on November 25.
On the other hand, Tripura police lodged a case against Bengal minister Firhad Hakim for his statements where he reportedly threatened to kill five BJP supporters in Bengal for every TMC activist hurt in Tripura.
Meanwhile, in order of a writ petition filed with the High Court of Tripura, a division bench of Justice SG Chattopadhyay and Subhashish Talapatra today directed Director General of Tripura Police VS Yadav and West Tripura superintendent of police to provide 24x7 security cover to CPI municipal poll candidate at ward no. 03 Rakesh Das till counting for the polls is over.
Das alleged in his petition that he was assaulted by a group of goons, whom he claimed were BJP supporters, while he was campaigning on November 19. Das claimed he informed the issue to the police and sought security cover but wasn’t granted the same.
In the order, the High Court said it would refrain from passing an order about free and fair conduction of the polls since the Supreme Court is in the session of the matter, but said the petitioner should be provided security personnel forthwith 24x7 till counting is over.
