A journalist working for CN Bangla News was stopped by the Kolkata Deputy Commissioner of Police (south), Akash Magharia, from covering the BJP protest in the area near Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence. She was asked to produce her ‘antecedent and character certificate’ by the police officer.
In a video that has surfaced, Kolkata DCP South Akash Magharia is heard telling the journalist to go to his office and wait for him. The officer said that he would go to his office and check her ‘character certificate’ first. Veteran journalist Kanchan Gupta shared a snippet of the video on his Twitter handle.
Unacceptable and shameful. IPS officer posted in Kolkata:
— Kanchan Gupta 🇮🇳 (@KanchanGupta) September 24, 2021
1. Stops a woman journalist from covering BJP campaign in Bhawanipur;
2. Asks for her ‘character antecedents’;
3. Tells her to see him in his office with her ‘character certificate’.
Name & Shame.
pic.twitter.com/G6A17fqZmS
In a video posted on the CN Bangla’s YouTube channel, the journalist, at around 3.13 seconds into the video, is heard complaining that Akash Magharia is not allowing media to cover the BJP protest. The journalist is heard saying that the police have created a barricade and is not allowing media to go to the other side and cover the BJP campaign or speak to the locals.
Kolkata police molests Priyanka Tibrewal and beats up other BJP leaders
BJP has also accused the same police officer, Akash Magharia of molesting and manhandling Priyanka Tibrewal and beating up BJP leaders during Thursday’s agitation near the chief minister’s home. BJP has on Friday complained to the Election Commission against Kolkata DCP (South) Akash Magharia. Priyanka Tibrewal is BJP’s candidate against Mamata Banerjee in the Bhawanipore assembly by-poll.
In a letter to EC, the BJP accused Magharia of dragging and pushing Majumdar and said “the same officer molested and inappropriately manhandled Priyanka Tibrewal and some women.”
The BJP demanded that Magharia should be discharged from election duty immediately and face a departmental inquiry.
Magharia had led the police team on Thursday to control the law and order situation during the protest staged by BJP near Mamata Banerjee South Kolkata residence at Kalighat. BJP had staged an agitation with the body of Manas Saha, a district leader, who had died of injuries inflicted by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers during the post-poll violence in May.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, Lok Sabha members Arjun Singh and Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, and Priyanka Tibrewal were booked by the Kalighat police station.
