Kolkata police summons director of film ‘The Dairy of West Bengal’

Kolkata police have served a legal notice to Mumbai-based filmmaker Sanoj Mishra for alleged communal content in the trailer of his upcoming movie “The Diary of West Bengal”, and has asked him to appear at the city’s Amherst Street police station on May 30, officials said.

Shankha Shubhra Chakrabarty, joint commissioner (crime), Kolkata police, told HT that the case against Mishra, the film’s writer and director, was registered based on a complaint lodged by a citizen.

“We will carry out an investigation. The director has been asked to appear on May 30 with all materials related to the content of the trailer,” Chakrabarty said.

The legal notice to Mishra was routed through Mumbai’s Oshiwara police station, he said.

Also Read: Now a row erupts over ‘The Diary of West Bengal’ film, BJP claims ‘lived experience of many’

Kolkata police officials said the case against Mishra has been registered under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (vilification or attack on a religion) 501 (printing or engraving defamatory content), 504 (intentional insult to break public peace) 505 (circulating material to cause communal tension) and 295A (deliberate or malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The development comes weeks after the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) banned the screening of the film The Kerala Story directed by Sudipto Sen, saying its release could trigger communal unrest in some parts of the state. The ban order was set aside by the Supreme Court on May 18.

Reviewed by HT, the trailer of the film, uploaded on YouTube a month ago, allegedly portrays West Bengal as a shelter for Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and illegal infiltrators from Bangladesh.

Some characters speak of communal riots taking place. An actor, purportedly dressed as chief minister Mamata Banerjee can be heard saying she will not allow the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) to be implemented in the state.

Charges have also been brought under various sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and Cinematograph Act, 1952.

Meanwhile, speaking to the news agency ANI in Mumbai, Mishra said that he worked on the movie for two years and claimed that the film is based on thorough research and evidence.

He said: “My film is based on research, evidence and real incidents. The social structure of Bengal has changed because of a demographic change. This has happened only because of the politics of appeasement. The IPC sections clamped against me are applicable to criminals which I am not. I have full faith in the legal system but I fear that I will be arrested by the Bengal police and die in their jail.”

Mishra further appealed to the prime minister and home minister to take stock of this.

“I appeal to the PM and the Union home minister to look into these attempts of silencing the truth. I abided by all laws while shooting which took place entirely outside Bengal. I used discretion. The charges are baseless. I have no intention of maligning any state. I worked in Bengal in the past,” Mishra said.

The police notice to Mishra has triggered a political row in the eastern state with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Bengal unit criticising the action by Kolkata police.

Samik Bhattacharya, Bengal BJP chief spokesperson said: “Only the BJP has fought against this illegal infiltration since the 1980s. A silent demographic invasion has led to an increase of around 11% in voters in Bengal’s border districts. The people of India have the right to know the truth because it is connected to Bengal’s future. Mamata Banerjee’s vindictive government cannot honour the expression of truth.”

Countering BJP, TMC Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen said that a state government has every right to act if it finds communal harmony in danger because of someone’s actions.

“A global survey recently showed India holding the 162nd position among 180 countries in terms of people’s right to freedom of expression. The BJP should not speak on this subject because it has set a record in throttling the voice of the Opposition. The state government has every right to act in a situation where communal harmony faces threat,” Sen said.