Kolkata, Dec 22 – A district court in West Bengal on Monday ordered four days of police custody for Mehboob Mallick, the school owner arrested for allegedly harassing and attempting to assault singer Lagnajita Chakraborty during a performance at South Point Public School in East Midnapore.
Mallick was produced before the Kanthi Sub-Divisional Court after his arrest. The police had filed a case under Sections 74 (outraging the modesty of a woman) and 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). While the police initially requested seven days of custody for interrogation, the judge granted four days.
The police are expected to interrogate Mallick to ascertain the reasons behind the harassment. The accused’s family and school authorities have not issued any comments regarding the incident. Meanwhile, acting Superintendent of Police Mitun Kumar Dey ordered a departmental inquiry against Shahanshah Haque, officer-in-charge of Bhagwanpur police station, and designated an SDPO-level officer to investigate the matter.
The incident occurred on Saturday when Lagnajita Chakraborty performed the song “Jago Ma” from the film Devi Chaudhurani. She alleged that a man from the audience attempted to assault her on stage, but other attendees intervened. Following the disruption, she refused to continue performing, after which Mallick allegedly verbally abused and harassed her. Police arrested him within 24 hours based on her complaint.
In the aftermath, political controversy arose when BJP leaders claimed that Mallick had links with the Trinamool Congress. Trinamool leaders quickly refuted the allegations. Bhagwanpur-I block Trinamool president Robin Mandal stated that Mallick is not associated with the party in any capacity and accused the BJP of politicising the incident to tarnish Trinamool’s image.
The case has drawn attention not only for the criminal charges against Mallick but also for the political debate surrounding the incident. The ongoing investigation will determine the legal consequences for the accused, while authorities continue to probe the circumstances leading to the harassment of the singer.
