States » EastPosted at: Oct 23 2026 11:48PM


Bengal: Kunal Ghosh stages sit-in at police station over Majid Ansari’s arrest

Kolkata, Oct 23 (UNI) Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh staged a sit-in demonstration outside Amherst Street Police Station on Friday to protest the arrest of Majid Ansari in connection with a three-year-old case, alleging that the action was aimed at silencing those who had raised questions about the involvement of influential figures in the Chorbagan stampede.
According to police sources, Ansari has been accused of molesting and intimidating a woman and demanding Rs 20 lakh while threatening to circulate her intimate photographs. Ten other people were also named in the case, registered in 2023, sources said.
Kunal alleged that Ansari was being targeted because he had spoken out following the October 17 stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Chorbagan, which claimed 19 lives. He has questioned why the police were acting against those raising concerns about the incident instead of pursuing the alleged masterminds.
In a social media post, Kunal accused the government of using the police to harass and arrest Trinamool Congress members who had questioned the alleged involvement of influential figures in the tragedy.
“The government is using the police to harass and arrest—through old or fabricated cases—those within the Trinamool Congress who have protested and raised questions about the involvement of influential figures in the Chorbagan incident,” he wrote.
Kunal further alleged that the Jorasanko and Amherst Street police stations were being used for this purpose. He said the police should focus on identifying those responsible for the stampede rather than attempting to silence people questioning the role of influential individuals.
BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh dismissed the allegations, saying that anyone found to have committed an offence should face legal action. “If someone commits a wrong, action will be taken against them. If anyone is arrested unjustly, the courts will look into it. Why all this frantic agitation?” he said.
Kunal arrived at Amherst Street Police Station and sat on the steps outside for some time before the officer-in-charge took him inside. BJP workers and supporters also gathered outside the police station and staged a counter-protest, raising slogans against the Trinamool leader and calling him a “traitor”. The situation later returned to normal.
Since the Chorbagan incident on October 17, police have arrested several people associated with the pandal and its organising committee. Two people have been arrested in connection with an alleged false announcement at the venue that reportedly triggered panic among visitors.
Kunal has maintained that the principal perpetrators are being shielded while those who questioned the alleged involvement of influential figures are facing harassment.
The incident has also brought the Chorbagan Puja committee under scrutiny. Following the change of government in West Bengal, the earlier committee was dissolved and a new one formed. The new committee is alleged to be under BJP control, with leaders Tamoghna Ghosh and Bijay Ojha associated with the Puja. Debdeep Adhikari, a nephew of Suvendu Adhikari, is the committee’s chief patron.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by retired Calcutta High Court judge Anindita Roy Saraswati, is investigating the stampede. Kunal has questioned why no action has been taken against BJP leaders in connection with the incident. UNI BGA NST CDS
Tags: #Bengal: Kunal Ghosh stages sit-in at police station over Majid Ansari’s arrest
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