Professor charged for forwarding Mamata cartoon acquitted after 10 years

His 2012 arrest, for forwarding a cartoon making fun of Dinesh Trivedi’s replacement as Railway Minister by Mukul Roy, had triggered massive outrage in the State’s political and social circles

More than ten years after he was arrested for forwarding a cartoon of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a court in Kolkata discharged Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra on all charges.

“The discharge petition by the accused petitioner Ambikesh Mahapatra is allowed. He stands discharged from Case No. C 1810 of 2016 relating to Purba Jadavpur PS Case No. 50 dated 12.04.2012. The bail bonds are discharged accordingly,” said an order dated January 18.  Prof. Mahapatra had forwarded an email containing a cartoon sequence based on Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kella which made fun of Dinesh Trivedi’s removal as Railway Minister and his replacement by Mukul Roy. He had to spend a night in police custody.

The development had triggered a massive outrage in political and social circles of the State. Prof. Mahapatra had also emerged as a civil rights crusader and an active member of the Aakranta Amra (We the survivors) movement.

Responding to the development, Prof. Mahapatra said that his acquittal was a victory against the State government, police administration, and the ruling party.  The academician said that he had to suffer for almost eleven years in a court case because of an innocuous cartoon.