Kolkata clashes: Web portal editor arrested for sharing ‘provocative content’, sent to police custody

“Guha was arrested for uploading communally inflammatory videos on social media,” said a senior police officer. Police said Guha was booked under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 500 (Defamation), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief) of the IPC and section 67 of the Information Technology Act.

He was produced in court and was remanded in police custody till October 24.

Later in the day, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari tweeted, “I am the leader of the opposition in the state, making my stand clear that social media journalists like Manav Guha or others like Polumi Nag are doing honest journalism and presenting such news to the public, my support will always remain with them. I salute their fight.”

According to the police, since Sunday – the day of the incident – Guha allegedly wrote Facebook posts and articles that were “provocative” and that he did not heed their requests to remove such content. The content concerned has now been removed from his Facebook page.

On October 9, a clash between two communities took place at Mominpur leading to communal tension.

The next night, a group of people ransacked several houses on Mayurbhanj and Bhukailash road areas.

A group of people protesting this surrounded the Ekbalpur police station and vandalised it. Nine police personnel were injured in the incident.

The police registered five cases and at least 47 persons have so far been arrested in these cases.

On October 12, 2022, the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal DGP to form an SIT to investigate the clashes and submit a report.