The former judge and his wife were allegedly threatened and abused over phone on Wednesday and Thursday by anonymous callers posing as journalists, police said on Friday. “The person threatened that I will be falsely implicated in a rape case,” said the ex-judge.
His fault? He criticised the West Bengal CM for her “corruption in judiciary” remark, during a TV interview.
On Tuesday, she had said, “…Why should judgments today be delivered for money? Why?”
Her remark came a day after the state human rights commission asked her government to pay R50,000 each to Jadavpur university professor Ambikesh Mahapatra and his neighbour Subrata Sengupta, who were arrested for circulating a Banerjee cartoon after the sacking of then rail minister Dinesh Trivedi.
While the phone calls fed another controversy, the state government suffered a setback when the West Bengal Human Rights Commission started probe into the alleged rights violation of Shiladitya Choudhury.
The Midnapore farmer dared tell the CM at an August 8 rally: “You are making false promises and the promises won’t be fulfilled”. Choudhury was charged with breaching Z-plus security zone and attacking police. He is currently lodged at the Jhargram correctional home.
“A petition was filed by BJP members against the injustice meted out to Choudhury. We have taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and initiated a probe,” said Sujoy Haldar, joint secretary of state rights panel.
Bengal ex-Lokayukta gets threat calls for criticising Mamata
IANS, Aug 17, 2012, Kolkata: After he criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her "corruption in judiciary" remarks, retired Calcutta High Court judge and former Lokayukta Samaresh Banerjee has complained about receiving anonymous threat calls, police said Friday.
Bidhannagar police commissioner Rajeev Kumar said that Banerjee had filed two complaints Thursday night stating that he received two anonymous threat calls.
"Our investigation showed that the first call was made from a mobile procured in the name of woman but being used by some other person. We are trying to locate him."
"I have no doubt that the calls were made after my remarks directed at (chief minister) Banerjee," the retired judge said.
Banerjee said he received the anonymous calls late Wednesday and Thursday evening. One of the callers claimed he was a journalist with an English daily and threatened him for his comments.
The calls were made hours after he participated in a panel discussion on a television channel and made critical remarks against the chief minister for her comments that she made at the state assembly Tuesday.
Following the threats, the former Lokayukta filed a written complaint with the Bidhannagar Police station and also made available to the police the telephone number from which the calls were made.
He demanded arrests of the culprits and also expressed concern over the whole issue.
Banerjee, who retired as the state's first Lokayukta in February 2009, said that if people lose faith in the judiciary, there will be no democracy.
Bengal ex-Lokayukta gets threat calls for criticising Mamata
IANS, Aug 17, 2012, Kolkata: After he criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her "corruption in judiciary" remarks, retired Calcutta High Court judge and former Lokayukta Samaresh Banerjee has complained about receiving anonymous threat calls, police said Friday.
Bidhannagar police commissioner Rajeev Kumar said that Banerjee had filed two complaints Thursday night stating that he received two anonymous threat calls.
"Our investigation showed that the first call was made from a mobile procured in the name of woman but being used by some other person. We are trying to locate him."
"I have no doubt that the calls were made after my remarks directed at (chief minister) Banerjee," the retired judge said.
Banerjee said he received the anonymous calls late Wednesday and Thursday evening. One of the callers claimed he was a journalist with an English daily and threatened him for his comments.
The calls were made hours after he participated in a panel discussion on a television channel and made critical remarks against the chief minister for her comments that she made at the state assembly Tuesday.
Following the threats, the former Lokayukta filed a written complaint with the Bidhannagar Police station and also made available to the police the telephone number from which the calls were made.
He demanded arrests of the culprits and also expressed concern over the whole issue.
Banerjee, who retired as the state's first Lokayukta in February 2009, said that if people lose faith in the judiciary, there will be no democracy.
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