Professor arrested for circulating cartoons

Kolkata West Bengal police arrested a professor of Jadavpur University for allegedly circulating a cartoon against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, ex-railway minister Dinesh Trivedi and present railway minister Mukul Roy.

The police also arrested the professor's (Ambikesh Mahapatra) neighbour, Subrata Sengupta, for the same offence and slapped defamation charges against them in accordance with the IT Act.

The caricature, based on Oscar winner Satyajit Roy's film Sonal Kella (Golden Fort), allegedly depicts Banerjee and Roy discussing to get rid of Trivedi.

Bail granted

Later, Mahapatra and Sengupta were granted bail by the court of the second judicial magistrate (Alipore).

Sources said that Trinamool suppoters had attacked Mahapatra's house and manhandled him for circulating the cartoon.

Mahapatra has been booked under charges of outraging the modesty of a woman — punishable with one year imprisonment, defamation which carries a maximum term of two years and hacking, punishable with a three-year prison term and fine up to Rs2 lakh (Dh14,319).

— With inputs from IANS