Ambikesh Mahapatra. File photo | Photo credit: The Hindu
More than ten years after he was arrested for promoting a cartoon of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a Kolkata court has cleared Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mohapatra of all charges.
“The discharge petition filed by the accused petitioner Ambikesh Mohapatra is allowed. He is relieved from Case No. C 1810/2016 relating to Purba Jadavpur PS Case No. 50 dated 12.04.2012. An order dated January 18 said that the bail bonds stand terminated accordingly. Professor Mohapatra had sent an email containing a cartoon sequence based on Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kela mocking the removal of Dinesh Trivedi as Railway Minister and his replacement by Mukul Roy. He had to spend one night in police custody.
The development had triggered massive outrage in the political and social circles of the state. Pro. Mohapatra also emerged as a civil rights activist and an active member of invader amra (We Survive) Movement.
Reacting to the development, Professor Mohapatra said that his acquittal was a victory against the state government, the police administration and the ruling party. The academician said that because of an innocent cartoon he had to suffer in a court case for almost eleven years.