KOLKATA: The cyber cell of the Kolkata Police on Tuesday arrested Garga Chatterjee, chief of Bangla Pokksho, on charges of allegedly making provocative and inflammatory statements relating to the EVM process.
The arrest was made based on a complaint filed by the Election Commission of India with the cybercrime division of Kolkata Police.
He is scheduled to be produced before a court on Wednesday. During the elections in Bengal, Garga, who is reportedly close to the Trinamool Congress camp, had raised questions about EVM functioning during counting despite machines being sealed overnight.
He had also claimed that “the Election Commission has some plans for later in the day”. Garg heads Bangla Pokkho, a Bengali identity-based organisation founded in 2017 that advocates protection of the Bengali language, culture and employment opportunities for local youths in West Bengal.
He was arrested in South Kolkata. It is also learnt that more than 20 rounds of live cartridges were also allegedly seized from his private security personnel.
Earlier in 2022, the police had arrested the Bengali rights outfit head, Garga, for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Assamese people and creating enmity between communities.
Following a directive of the Gauhati High Court, the Kolkata Police had nabbed him and brought him before the court.
He was released on transit bail on the condition that he would have to appear at the Kamrup Metro Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Guwahati on September 17, 2022.
The activist had allegedly made some objectionable remarks against Swargadeo Sukapha, who founded Assam’s Ahom dynasty that ruled the state for about 600 years.
Garga had allegedly referred to Sukapha as a ‘Chinese invader’.
His remarks had triggered widespread outrage on social media platforms among the Assamese community.
Multiple FIRs were lodged against Garga across districts in Assam. Subsequently, a team of Assam Police landed in Kolkata to apprehend him, but were unsuccessful.
In June, the Gauhati High Court had issued notices to the Chief Secretary of West Bengal and the Kolkata Commissioner of Police during the Trinamool Congress rule in the state over alleged non-cooperation with the Assam Police in executing a non-bailable arrest warrant against him.
Following this, the Guwahati High Court issued a fresh warrant against Garga Chatterjee, directing the Kolkata Police chief to arrest him.
