HC blocks action against actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay for remarks after 2021 WB polls

The Calcutta High Court in an interim direction on Friday said that no coercive action shall be taken against actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay in connection with a case against him for making allegedly provocative remarks during violence after the 2021 Bengal Assembly elections, Live Law reported.

The first information report had been filed against Chattopadhyay and actor Swastika Mukherjee this month on a complaint by an advocate, who alleged that the two had made remarks on social media that could have incited political violence in the charged atmosphere after the 2021 polls.

In May 2021, the Trinamool Congress had defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state elections. There was widespread post-poll violence.

At the time, the court had ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the violence. A Special Investigation Team was also set up.

In his complaint, the advocate claimed that after the TMC crossed the majority mark, Parambrata had on May 2, 2021, allegedly posted: “Let today be declared World Thrashing Day”. Swastika had allegedly responded: “Hahaha, let it be.”

The complaint alleged that the remarks contributed to an atmosphere of political hostility.

The complainant claimed that Chattopadhyay “appears to abate, encourage, incite and instigate large scale violence at such time when violence against BJP workers had already started to circulate”. He alleged that Mukherjee “had endorsed such instigation...

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