BJP protest march in Kolkata: Party leaders Dilip Ghosh, Rupa Ganguly granted bail

Kolkata: Five senior BJP leaders, including its national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, were on Friday discharged by courts in connection with the protest march to the city police headquarters. Of the 14 other BJP activists arrested for allegedly indulging in violence during Thursday’s protest, seven were remanded to police custody by a city court, while the other seven were granted bail by another court. [caption id=“attachment_3485437” align=“alignleft” width=“396”] BJP leader Rupa Ganguly being released from police custody. PTI[/caption] Vijayvargiya, who is BJP’s in-charge of Bengal, was discharged by metropolitan magistrate Mohammed Rafique in connection with a case registered by Bowbazar police station against him to prevent commission of cognisable offences. Party state president Dilip Ghosh, Rajya Sabha MP Rupa Ganguly, state secretary Locket Chatterjee and former state president Rahul Sinha were discharged by acting chief metropolitan magistrate Satya Arnab Ghosal in connection with cases registered against them by Hare Street police station on similar charge. All five leaders had on Thursday refused to take bail on personal bond, which is granted from police stations in case of preventive arrest, and preferred to be produced before the courts today which discharged them. Acting chief metropolitan magistrate Ghosal refused the bail prayers of seven BJP activists, who were charged under several sections of IPC, Explosives Act and the newly- instituted West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order Amendment Act 2017 and remanded them to police custody till 29 May. These seven persons were accused of being involved in the hurling of a bomb and indulging in violence during the protest. The bail prayers of seven other accused, who were produced before metropolitan magistrate Mohammed Rafique were granted as they were charged under bailable sections of IPC read with West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order Amendment Act 2017. Rejecting the prosecution’s prayer for police remand of the seven accused, the judge granted their bail prayer on a bond of Rs 2,000 each, along with a surety of similar amount. All these people were arrested on Thursday during a protest by BJP activists against alleged violence by the ruling Trinamool Congress. Unruly scenes were witnessed during the protest at different places near Lalbazar, the city police headquarters, as the BJP held protest march from different directions towards it.