Kolkata Police questions Mithun Chakraborty over 'inciteful speech'

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Police on Wednesday began virtually questioning actor-turned-BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty in connection with a complaint accusing him of inciting post-poll violence in West Bengal through his speeches.

Officers of the Manicktala police station in north Kolkata began questioning the actor, who is currently in Pune, at 10.20 am.

"Till the last information was received, the questioning was still underway," an officer told PTI.

An FIR lodged at the police station alleged that the actor had used dialogues like 'Marbo ekhane lash porbe shoshane' (Will hit you here and the body will land in the crematorium) and 'Ek chobole chobi' (A snakebite will turn you into a photograph, meaning will kill you) at a rally here after joining the BJP on March 7.

The complainant alleged that these dialogues caused post-poll violence in the state.

The Calcutta High Court had directed Chakraborty to provide his email address to the state so that he can make himself available by way of video conference for questioning in connection with the complaint where he has been accused of promoting enmity between different groups, an intentional insult to provoke breach of peace, and making statements conducing to public mischief.

Clashes were reported from several parts of the state following the declaration of assembly poll results on May 2, in which the Trinamool Congress returned to power for the third time.

On prayers by the lawyers of the petitioner and the prosecution on Friday for taking up the matter on a later date, the court fixed the matter for hearing on June 18.

Chakraborty had filed the petition before the high court seeking quashing of the case registered against him for alleged incitement to post-poll violence through his speeches, wherein he had uttered popular dialogues from his films.

The actor had claimed that the utterances of such film dialogues were only recreational and that he is innocent and in no way connected with any offence as alleged by the complainant.