Following the nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal has launched a massive crackdown on social media users. Now, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has free legal assistance to social media users who have been targeted by Bengal police for their online comments.
The cyber cell of Kolkata Police has issued notices to hundreds of people for posting various comments and allegations over the incident. The police have also registered FIR against many people for their comments on social media accusing them of spreading fake news over the incident. Moreover, the police have summoned several prominent persons, including a TMC leader, senior doctors and BJP leaders.
The police have also forced a large number of people to delete their posts threatening them with legal action, and most people have complied. Amid the spree of notices issued by the overactive cyber cell of Kolkata Police after the case was handed over to the CBI, the leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari today announced that he will offer legal assistance to recipients of such notices free of cost.
He said that it has come to his notice that various Social Media Users across the State as well as from different parts of the country are receiving notices from Kolkata Police, West Bengal Police and their Cyber Crime Departments, directing them to delete certain posts and threatening them of strict penal action. Mostly Social Media Users are receiving Notices under Section 168 of the BNSS (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita) 2023, for posting content related to the RG Kar rape & murder incident, which are critical of the State Govt, Police & Administration, Adhikari added.
It has come to my notice that various Social Media Users across the State as well as from different parts of the country are receiving notices from @KolkataPolice, @WBPolice and their Cyber Crime Departments, directing them to delete certain posts and threatening them of strict… pic.twitter.com/c88UdHpH04
— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) August 18, 2024
Therefore, Suvendu Adhikari said that if the social media post that attracted police notice is not outright vulgar and it only contained opinion of the user, he will offer free legal assistance against the police action.
The senior BJP leader said, “I believe Free Speech is the backbone of a healthy Democracy. So if anyone is being harassed for just posting their opinion and if the post is not outright vulgar, I am ready to provide Legal Assistance at free of cost.
Suvendu Adhikari asked the victims of police censorship actions to forward the police notice along with relevant details of the recipient to his email ID [email protected].
“My legal team will contact you and render legal services,” he added.
Earlier today, Adhikari had claimed that police changed the viscera and blood-stained items in an effort to protect the accused in the RG Kar Hospital’s rape and murder case. Suvendu Adhikari also demanded that CBI should confiscate the phones of CM Mamata Banerjee, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, RG Kar Hospital’s former principal Sandip Ghosh, DGP Rajeev Kumar, and health secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam. He claimed that when call records and other data of the phones are examined, everything will be clear.
