Kolkata Court Orders Mahua Moitra to Remove Defamatory Posts Against Chief Secretary

Kolkata, October 15 (Daily Kiran) : A Kolkata court has instructed Mahua Moitra, a Member of Parliament from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), to promptly remove two defamatory posts she made on social media. These posts targeted Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the current Chief Secretary of West Bengal, who was serving as the state’s Chief Electoral Officer during an ongoing process.

In her posts, Moitra referred to Agarwal as a “vote thief.” Following these allegations, Agarwal sent her a legal notice and subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit seeking damages of ₹10 crore.

The case was heard on Thursday in a lower court in Alipore, South Kolkata. At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge ruled that Moitra is prohibited from making any new defamatory posts about the chief secretary on social media or from sharing any old posts related to the matter.

The court ordered that the posts made by Moitra on October 3 and October 6 must be deleted within 24 hours of the court’s directive.

Additionally, Moitra will receive a notice requiring her to explain why the court should not maintain the ban on her statements. The judge noted that Moitra’s posts not only criticized the ongoing process but also accused the chief secretary of illegal actions during his tenure as CEO.

The court remarked that Moitra failed to present any solid evidence to support her serious allegations. Consequently, the court expressed doubts about the legal basis of these claims.

While acknowledging the public’s right to discuss or criticize the process, the court emphasized that making defamatory comments against a government official under the guise of criticism is unacceptable. Given the offensive nature of Moitra’s posts, the court insisted that they be removed within the specified timeframe.

In response to the court’s ruling, Moitra stated on social media that she intends to file an application to uphold her right to call a “vote thief” a “vote thief.”