The West Bengal government on Saturday approached the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court's order directing the Kolkata Police to release Sayan Lahiri, one of the convenors of the Nabanna Abhijan (March to Secretariat) call given on August 27 to condemn the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month.
Passing the order on Friday, the single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha of the Calcutta High Court also made it clear that no coercive action can be taken against Lahiri, not just in connection with the Nabanna Abhijan, but also in relation to any other police case against him.
Sources said that although Lahiri was released on Saturday afternoon honouring the Calcutta High Court's order, the state government has now approached the apex court seeking to reverse the high court ruling so that Lahiri can be again taken into custody.
In the petition filed before the Calcutta High Court on Friday, Lahiri's counsel had accused the city police of arresting his client on false charges. The petition was admitted and heard on an emergency basis.
After his release on Saturday, Lahiri said that despite all the hurdles that came his way, he will continue to protest till justice is delivered in the R.G. Kar case and all the others who were arrested in connection with the Nabanna Abhijan are released.
Lahiri was arrested earlier this week from outside the office of a vernacular news channel where he came for a panel discussion on the R.G. Kar issue and the Nabanna Abhijan.
However, on Friday the high court directed the police to release him by 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The court also rejected the argument of the state government's counsel that Lahiri was a 'highly influential' person.
Parts of Kolkata and Howrah turned into virtual battlefields on the afternoon of August 27 following clashes between the police and the protesters.
At many places, the police had to resort to lathi-charge, firing of teargas shells, and use of water cannons to disperse the protesters moving towards the state Secretariat located in the Mandirtala area of Howrah district, which is adjacent to Kolkata.
A total of 220 arrests were made in this connection in addition to 25 preventive arrests that were made before the march.
Indian army responding to Pak ceasefire violations: FS Vikram Misri
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Saturday said that Indian armed forces have been responding adequately to the ceasefire violations by the Pakistani army despite the announcement of truce between the two countries a few hours earlier.
Hours after announcement of truce, Pakistan violates ceasefire
Despite the announcement of ceasefire by India and Pakistan, there was a violation by the Pakistan army on Saturday evening in Akhnoor, Mendhar, R.S. Pura, Chamb, Bhimber and Gurez sectors while loud blasts were also heard in Srinagar.
No mosque touched during 'Operation Sindoor': Colonel Sofiya Qureshi
The Indian armed forces respect the Constitution’s secular values and keeping these in mind, they did not target any mosque during ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Pakistan.
India and Pakistan to stop all firing and military action: MEA
A few minutes after US President Donald Trump announced a "full and immediate ceasefire" between India and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea with effect from 5 PM Indian Standard Time, on Saturday.
India to treat terror strike in future as 'Act of War'
India has decided that any future act of terror will be considered an ‘Act of War’ against the country and will be responded to accordingly, a decision which aligns with the Narendra Modi government’s zero tolerance for terror, official sources said on Saturday.
6 Pakistani air bases pounded by India in hit-back
Besides blunting Pakistan’s drone attacks overnight, India has carried out precision attacks on six Pakistan Air Force bases in Rafiqui, Sukkur, Murid, Chunia, Chaklala, and Rahim Yar Khan, said an official on Saturday.
India hit 8 military bases in Pakistan, including Sialkot station: Centre
India responded strongly to Pakistan’s repeated drone and missile attacks and hit at least eight military targets inside Pakistan on Friday night with precision, thereby causing significant damage, the Centre told the Press, as part of a special briefing on 'Operation Sindoor'.
Pak troops moving into forward areas, Indian forces in high state of operational readiness: Govt
India on Saturday said that Pakistan was escalating tensions along the Western border by moving troops into forward areas, suggesting an offensive intent to intensify hostilities.