Senior Congress leader summoned in connection with Biplab Kumar Deb’s defamation case

Senior Congress leader and former BJP vice president Subal Bhowmik was summoned by the Crime Branch in connection with the case.

Congress demands arrest of Tripura CM Biplab Deb, accuses him of inciting communal hatred

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb addresses a public rally during an election campaign in March. f(ile/PTI)

Weeks after Tripura Police arrested a former BJP IT cell member for allegedly defaming Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on social media, senior Congress leader and former BJP vice president Subal Bhowmik was summoned by the Crime Branch in connection with the case.

Anupam Paul was charged with forgery, defamation and criminal conspiracy for allegedly sharing fake news about Biplab Kumar Deb. He was arrested from New Delhi in June this year after absconding for about one and a half months.

“Police questioned 150 youths in relation with Anupam Paul’s case but didn’t arrest anyone. They summoned me for questioning too. Am I absconder? I am open to questioning, but in my house. They (police) are harassing people. My summon notices were leaked to the press. It is an attempt to tarnish my image,” the Congress leader told a media briefing on Tuesday evening.

Investigating officer Dipankar Paul had issued a notice to Bhowmik on June 27 and asked him to visit the office of SP (Cyber Crime) for questioning. The notice read, “there are reasonable grounds to question you to ascertain facts and circumstances of the case”.

However, Bhowmik has declined to record his statement at the SP office or any police station, and has requested the police to question him at his residence. The police didn’t agree to Bhowmik’s demand and sent him three notices till date.

Director General in-charge Rajiv Singh told reporters that the police might seek legal recourse from the court if Bhowmik continues to resist cooperating with the cops.

“It (questioning) doesn’t happen that way. Police issued notice to him to record his statement before the Investigating Officer. We can’t go to every single person’s house. In such cases, if the person doesn’t cooperate, there is the option to go to the court”, the officiating DGP said.

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Terming Paul as “erstwhile blue-eyed boy” of BJP, Bhowmik said he didn’t have any knowledge of his whereabouts when was absconding, and neither did he help him in any way. Paul is credited with coining the 2018 assembly poll slogan ‘Chalo Paltai’, which helped the BJP take the state by storm and end 25 years of Communist rule.

Bhowmik also said he would now try to arrange bail for Paul on humanitarian grounds.

Bhowmik is a former MLA and used to be the BJP state vice president till March 19. Weeks before Lok Sabha elections this year, he joined the Congress party. He was later announced as the party’s candidate in West Tripura constituency but lost to his former colleague and BJP candidate Pratima Bhowmik by over 3 lakh votes.

Several others including a Tripura Police constable and a school teacher were arrested for sharing the fake news. The two were later released on bail.