Kolkata, Dec 22 A district court in West Bengal on Monday ordered four days of police custody for the school owner who was arrested on charges of harassing and attempting to murder singer Lagnajita Chakraborty during a performance.
The judge issued the order after the accused, Mehboob Mallick, was produced before the Kanthi Sub-Divisional Court.
Police have filed a case against the accused under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police said that the accused was promptly arrested after the complaint was received. A case was filed under Sections 74 (outraging the modesty of a woman) and 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
On Monday, the police produced the arrested man in court and requested seven days of custody. After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge granted four days of police custody.
The police will interrogate the accused to find out why the invited artist was harassed. There has been no reaction from the accused's family. The school authorities have also not officially commented on the matter.
The district's acting Superintendent of Police, Mitun Kumar Dey, also ordered a departmental inquiry against Shahanshah Haque, the officer-in-charge of Bhagwanpur police station in East Midnapore district, in connection with the incident.
He informed that an officer of the SDPO level is investigating the matter.
The popular singer Lagnajita had gone to perform at an event of South Point Public School in the Bhagwanpur police station area on Saturday. She alleged that she was harassed during her performance.
The singer claimed that she sang the song 'Jago Ma' from the film 'Devi Chaudhurani'. Shortly afterwards, a man from the audience came onto the stage and attempted to assault her. However, others intervened and removed the man before the situation escalated.
Lagnajita did not sing any further after that incident.
Lagnajita alleged that the school owner, Mehboob Mallick, behaved rudely towards her and subjected her to verbal abuse after she refused to perform at the event anymore. Within 24 hours of the incident, police arrested the main accused, Mehboob, based on her complaint.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress said that the school owner has no connection with the Trinamool Congress.
Trinamool’s leadership of Bhagwanpur-i block in East Midnapore district has denied any political connection between the accused and the party.
Addressing a press conference, Bhagwanpur-I block Trinamool president Robin Mandal said, "The arrested individual is in no way associated with the Trinamool Congress. He is not affiliated with the party. The BJP is deliberately trying to politicise this incident."
The local Trinamool leader's target was BJP leader Shankudeb Panda. He alleged that Shankudeb Panda was spreading this misinformation with a completely malicious intent to tarnish the image of the Trinamool Congress in the eyes of the public.
He said, "The claims made by Shankudeb Panda are completely baseless. The person accused in this incident is actually a businessman and the owner of a private school. He has no organisational connection with our party at any level. The responsibility for someone's personal crime cannot be placed on a political party."
The reaction from the Trinamool Congress came after BJP leaders, including Shankudeb Panda, said the arrested school owner was affiliated with the Trinamool Congress.
--IANS
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