The Kolkata police stung by the scathing public criticism for its approach in handling the rape and murder of a young woman doctor are now on the look-out for students, doctors, leaders of BJP and Trinamool Congress for allegedly spreading “misinformation” or “revealing pictures or identity” of the junior doctor.
Protests are going on across the country over the Kolkata rape and murder case and while the Opposition parties in the State are targeting Mamata Banerjee’s government, the Supreme Court has also taken cognisance of it and flayed the government for mishandling the sensitive case.
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After taking cognisance of the statements and posts on social media, the Kolkata police have so far issued notices to 280 people, social media handle owners and entities. A student was also arrested and later released on bail.
Those who have been served notices by the Kolkata Police include Rajya Sabha MPs of the ruling Trinamool Congress, senior cardiologists, students, people from civil society, people belonging to various political parties and even common people. TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy has moved for anticipatory bail in the Supreme Court.
According to an official from the public relations wing of the Kolkata Police, people who have posted offensive posts on social media sites like ‘X’,’Instagram’ and ‘Facebook’ as well as ‘You Tube’ have been served notices. Notices have also been issued to those who shared the photos and name of the deceased student of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Apart from this, notices have also been sent to those who made the post-mortem report public and misinterpreted it. The notices have been sent by the Deputy Commissioner of Cyber Crime Branch of Kolkata Police. Those who have been sent notices have either been instructed to withdraw their posts or have been asked to present themselves at the Cyber Police Station.
Sukhendu Shekhar Roy in a post on social media had written that sniffer dogs of the Kolkata Police were not brought to the crime spot for three days after the incident. The police denied the allegations and said the preliminary investigation showed no negligence by the police. On the other hand, Roy said that if any common citizen feels that if the police are harassing us unnecessarily, he can knock at the doors of the court.
Cops also issued a notice to senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former MP Lockett Chatterjee. A student from the city’s Salt Lake area allegedly wrote an ‘incitement to violence’ post against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on his X handle was arrested and later granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 1,000. On the one hand, TMCs Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale took to his social media account and alleged that the BJP has ‘hijacked’ the protest against the RG Kar incident.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari said his party is ready to provide legal aid to everyone. He alleged that the Kolkata Police was acting at the behest of the State government and was sending notices to whoever criticized the case on social media. He charged that the police should have shown such promptness while investigating the incident and arranging security at the hospital. Adhikari has also informed that his office has set up a cell to provide free legal aid to all those who have been served such notices.
The Kolkata Police issued notices not only to people from Kolkata or West Bengal, but also to social media influencers residing in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country. Another student of a medical college in Kolkata not only received a notice for her social media post but also got a call at her home from the local police station. Those who belong to student organisations and have received notices, their organisations have rallied behind them but those who posted in their personal capacity are now left worried. A student also clarified that he didn’t know that the victim’s name or photo could not be shared publicly.
West Bengal Congress Committee General Secretary Ashutosh Chatterjee says that the first person to show that she had no confidence in the Kolkata Police was the Chief Minister herself. She had herself shown distrust by announcing that the case would be handed over to the CBI if Kolkata police failed to crack it in seven days. Who expressed such distrust? So what is the fault of the common people if they do not trust the Kolkata Police, he questioned.
Chatterjee even wondered as to how civilian volunteers could join the police without any training and demanded that the Kolkata government answer this first.
He alleged that men in uniform were dancing to the tune of their political masters and alleged that even senior policemen are committing crimes. “Officials can’t speak openly but they are also upset about it,” he claimed.
