Calcutta HC frees man arrested on charges of criticising Bengal minister on social media

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday acquitted a person who was arrested on the charge of criticizing a state minister on social media.

A single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha directed that Ershad Sultan be released immediately.

The matter related to a meeting of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with members of her cabinet, bureaucrats, police officers and heads of the different municipalities in the state on June 28.

The administration arranged for the live streaming of the entire meeting. During the meeting the arrested person made a comment accusing West Bengal minister Arup Roy and some local Trinamool Congress leaders of encouraging illegal constructions in Howrah by illegally filling up the water bodies.

The police registered a FIR against Sultan the same day and he was arrested on June 30. His family members approached the High Court against the arrest and the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday.

During the hearing Justice Sinha raised some questions on the arrest. Her first question was whether the police can arrest anyone if the latter complains or expresses a grievance against anyone. She also questioned whether the arrest was prompted by a complaint from the minister?

Finally she observed that the police has unnecessarily intervened in the matter on the basis of a complaint by a third person.