Event organiser arrested after actor Mimi Chakraborty alleges harassment
The Statesman | 30 January 2026
Police in Bongaon on Thursday arrested Tanay Shastri, an organiser of a cultural programme, following allegations of harassment made by Tollywood actor and former MP Mimi Chakraborty during an event in the town.
The arrest led to brief tension at Bongaon police station as supporters of the accused gathered on the premises. According to police sources, the incident occurred on Sunday night at Naya Gopalganj in Bongaon, where a local youth club had organised its annual cultural programme. Mimi Chakraborty was invited as a guest performer. It was alleged that during her performance, Tanay Shastri, a club official and one of the organisers, suddenly climbed onto the stage, interrupted the programme and asked the actor to leave the stage. The actor later alleged that she was humiliated and harassed by the organiser’s conduct.
Following her complaint, Bongaon police initiated an investigation and arrested the accused on Thursday. However, the event organisers have put forward a different version of events. They claimed that the actor had arrived much later than the scheduled time. According to them, Mimi Chakraborty was expected to reach the venue at 10.30 p.m. but arrived close to 11.45 p.m. As the programme venue was located near a school and examinations were underway, the administration had reportedly directed that the use of loudspeakers must stop by midnight. The organisers claimed that the programme had to be wrapped up within 15 minutes in compliance with official instructions.
Police officials said that although the situation turned tense following the arrest, no major untoward incident occurred. They added that a detailed probe into the matter is underway and further legal action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation. Tension prevailed in the Naya Gopalganj area following the incident, prompting the deployment of additional police personnel to maintain law and order.