Bengal BJP MLA allegedly threatens cops, locks them up in police station; booked

Kolkata: The West Bengal police registered a FIR against BJP lawmaker Agnimitra Paul late on Wednesday night for allegedly threatening cops and locking them up inside the Kotwali police station when Ram Navami processions were going on in West Midnapore.
Paul is said to have gone to the police station to register a case against chief minister Mamata Banerjee for issuing a controversial statement during a rally earlier in the week.
“We have registered a FIR against Paul and 15 others. Investigation is going on,” said Dhritiman Sarkar, superintendent of police of West Midnapore.
Paul, a fashion designer-turned politician, is the BJP’s MLA from Asansol South in West Burdwan. She has been fielded by the BJP as the party’s candidate from Midnapore for the Lok Sabha elections.
Paul went to the Kotwali police station on Wednesday to lodge a complaint against Banerjee for allegedly making controversial statements while addressing a rally in Cooch Behar district on April 15.
“You are not favouring us. You are doing your job. Receive the FIR. I am a woman and an MLA. I am lodging a complaint,” she was purportedly seen in a video telling the duty officer of Kotwali police station.
Paul could have been referring to Banerjee’s alleged remark on Tuesday in Jalpaiguri’s Maynaguri, in which she claimed that some BJP members had shouted “chor chor” when her convoy was crossing the Chalsa area.
The BJP, which has complained to the Election Commission of India (ECI) about it, claimed Banerjee had said: “They had the courage to say chor chor on seeing my car, if I had the opportunity I would have pulled their tongues out, because of elections I did not say anything.”
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When police didn’t receive Paul’s complaint, BJP workers who went with her to the police station locked the gate of the police station using a chain and a lock. They also staged a sit-in demonstration outside the police station for around 30 minutes.
“The chief minister addressed a rally Cooch Behar two days back. Paul, however, chose Kotwali police station in West Midnapore to lodge a complaint. She went to stage a drama and had come prepared,” Ajit Maity, TMC MLA from Pingla, told media persons.
Police said that the Paul has been booked under sections 120b (criminal conspiracy), 353 (assault or criminal force on public servant), 186 (obstructing public servant), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian penal Code.
“The duty officer just told her that the inspector-in-charge (IC) was the competent authority to register a FIR. The IC was in the field at that time. We have CCTV footages and video clippings of the incident at the police station. They had brought chains and lock which hints that it was pre-planned. The police were locked up when Ram Navami processions were being held. We are looking into all aspects including he conspiracy angle,” said a police officer.