On 7th September, leader of the opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) West Bengal MLA Suvendu Adhikari said that Anandabazar Patrika journalist Debmalya Bagchi was arrested after a report on hooch dealers was published in the newspaper. Accusing media and left-liberals of maintaining silence on the arrest, he narrated the chronology of events that led to Bagchi’s arrest.
Journalist arrested by Police in West Bengal. No media outrage & condemnation by the pseudo liberal & intellectual brigade, as the said Journalist doesn't have any PFI link.
— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) September 7, 2023
Chronology of events:-
August 27, 2023 – A news article gets published in the Kharagpur edition of the… pic.twitter.com/TAOMkRkwcK
On 27th August 2023, the Kharagpur edition of Anandabazar Patrika published a report highlighting hooch traders operating from houses in the residential area of Sanjoal in Ward No 24 of Kharagpur Municipality.
As per the report, Basanti Das and other women of the locality formed a group and worked together to lawfully obstruct the illegal trade of illicit alcohol in the area.
In his post on X (formerly Twitter), Adhikari pointed out that because of the unrestricted trade of illicit alcohol or hooch in the area, the teenagers were getting involved, and the ward atmosphere became unsafe for the women. They went to the police seeking help but they were reluctant to act. Furthermore, the women sought help from the local councilor and chairperson of the Municipality but could not get anyone to act on their complaint.
Following the article, the administration and police allegedly got rattled, leading to the arrest of a few drunkards in the area. Adhikari said it was done to contain the public outrage in the backdrop of hiding the main operators of the illegal business.
Interestingly, on 28th August, the relatives of hooch traders filed a complaint against the women who initially went to the police to file a complaint against the illegal business. Police sprung into action and filed an FIR under Section 3(1)(r)(s) of The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. In the complaint filed on 27th August, the complainant accused the women of attacking them and using castist slurs. She also accused the woman of pulling her clothes and injuring her.
On 7th September, Anandabazaar Patrika published another report highlighting the hooch dealers’ attack on Basanti Das and other complainants.
The report pointed out that seven houses in the area are indulged in the business of illicit hooch trade in the area. The women have been complaining about it for over two years, but the police or the administration took no concrete action.
As per the report, the dealers surrounded the houses of the complainants and kicked the door. They demanded to withdraw the complaint. The woman called the police, but they arrived around one hour after the call. However, the police claimed they reached the spot soon after receiving the call.
Journalist Debmalya Bagchi was allegedly picked up by the police from his residence in the aftermath of the reports published by Anandabazaar Patrika.
