Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra was mentioned as “absconding” in a chargesheet filed before the Alipore court in March 2018.
Mahapatra got hold of the chargesheet a few days ago. The search became essential after this chargesheet, unknown to him, was cited as the reason for his passport application being turned down.
The chargesheet says the accused, the JU professor and seven others, in an assault case “are still absconding to avoid arrest by the police”.
“I’m taking classes in the chemistry department and supervising research at the lab now. I was doing the same in 2018. I take part in discussions on TV channels. I used to do the same in 2018. Still, police did not hesitate to say that I was absconding,” Mahapatra told The Telegraph.
Mahapatra has been at the forefront of protests against the government’s highhandedness since his arrest in 2012 for allegedly circulating an Internet joke on chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The original charges against him have been scrapped but the new case has allegedly prolonged his harassment.
An officer of Kolkata police’s southwest division said: “The word ‘absconding’ does not always mean that he could not be captured or arrested and that he was not found at home. It is a technical term which can be used for accused persons who have not been arrested but have been charge-sheeted, leaving it for the court to take action.”
Mahapatra had been charge-sheeted under sections of unlawful assembly, theft, wrongful restraint, assault and criminal intimidation. The police said the theft charge was later dropped.
The case of assault and snatching Rs 5,000 was apparently filed at Haridevpur police station more than seven years ago when he contested the Assembly election as an Independent candidate from Behala East.
Mahapatra said the police apprised him that another case was pending against him during his passport renewal in February.
Sushil Chakraborty, the lawyer representing Mahapratra, said the court had issued the arrest warrant against him and others in January 2019 because they were mentioned as absconding.
“Since the police did not make any arrests in the intervening period, the court kept reissuing the arrest warrant whenever the case came up for hearing. The warrant was reissued latest on March 15 this year. The next hearing is on January 24,” said Chakraborty.
The chargesheet filed by the investigating officer of Haridevpur police station says: “Best efforts were made to apprehend the FIR name accused persons but to no effect. They are now absconding to avoid arrest by police. Hence a primafacie case under section 143 /341 / 323 / 506 IPC has been well established against the accused.”
“Had I not initiated the process for passport renewal, I wouldn’t have come to know about the existence of the case and the chargesheet in which I have been mentioned as absconding. Apart from obtaining bail, I have to make a separate petition to the court so they issue a no-objection for my passport renewal,” said Mahapatra.
The JU professor whose ordeal started in April 2012, now has to surrender before the court and move a bail petition in the 2016 case.
He wants a renewal of his passport so he can apply for a US visa. His two daughters are pursuing higher studies in the US.
“My ordeal appears to have resumed,” Mahapatra said.