Assam lecturer held for 'controversial' Facebook post on Delhi violence

According to reports, days ago, Silchar's Gurucharan College's guest lecturer in physics- Souradeep Sengupta, who is an alumnus of Kolkata's Presidency University, posted a status on Facebook on Delhi violence where he allegedly made some derogatory statement about religion and defamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him a 'mass-murderer'.

Following the Facebook post, the young lecturer faced demonstration staged by his students at Gurucharan College and BJP's students' wing, ABVP, registered a complaint against him with Silchar Sadar Police Station.

Later, Souradeep Sengupta removed the controversial post from his account and posted an 'apology' statement on Facebook.

On Friday evening, demanding an apology from the lecturer on Facebook live, mob at a large number protested at his residence, when Souradeep was not there, and allegedly threatened his family members.

Meanwhile, after completing preliminary inquiry, local police converted the complaint into an FIR and later arrested the young lecturer.

Sources in Silchar Police said that the lecturer has been booked under IPC sections 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc. and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 507 (Criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication), and section 66 of IT Act (Computer related offences).

Of these three IPC sections, 295A and 153A are non-bailable, according to police officials.

Reacting on the matter, West Bengal president of BJP, Dilip Ghosh, demanded a strict legal action against Souradeep Sengupta.

"His act is very shameful, he can never defame a religion, culture and a country's prime minister who has been trusted and respected by crores of people in the India and abroad, Dilip Ghosh said.

Souradeep Sengupta was elected as a Joint Secretary of Presidency University's students' union in 2014-15 session.

Meanwhile, his friends and PU batch-mates in Kolkata condemned of the arrest of Souradeep and described Assam police's action against the young lecturer as an act against the Freedom of Speech and Expression.