Court grants TMC MP Tapas Pal bail in connection with his rape remarks against opposition

Krishnagar: Actor-turned Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal was on Monday granted bail by a Nadia district court in connection with his alleged “shoot and rape” remarks against opposition party supporters and women last year, which had created a nationwide outrage. [caption id=“attachment_2317944” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] TMC MP Tapas Pal. IBNLive[/caption] Acting chief judicial magistrate Shubhajit Basu granted him bail on two surety bonds of Rs 2500 each. CID submitted the charge sheet in the case on 26 May. The MP was charged under IPC Sections 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 505(1)(b) (statement with intent to cause fear or alarm to the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against public tranquillity), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman). Pal’s remarks were aired by news channels on 30 June last year and a person lodged a complaint with Nakashipara police station on 1 July. On 28 July, Justice Dipankar Dutta of the Calcutta High Court, on a petition seeking CID investigation into Pal’s comments, ordered the police station to treat the complaint as an FIR. Appeals by the state government and Pal before a division bench of the HC had led to a split verdict. Justice Nishita Mhatre, as a referee judge, on 25 September ordered lodging of an FIR and a CID probe into Pal’s controversial remarks made during public meetings in his Krishnagar constituency in Nadia district. PTI