Kolkata: Actor Swastika Mukherjee appeared at the Gariahat Police Station on Saturday and was questioned for nearly an hour, days after an FIR was registered against her and actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay over an alleged post-poll violence-related social media post and comment, dating back to 2021.
Police questioned Mukherjee over allegations that she supported a social media post by Chattopadhyay, concerning post-poll violence in Bengal in 2021. Investigators are examining if the posts and online engagement could be linked to charges of incitement and promoting hostility, according to the complaint lodged. After the questioning, Mukherjee left the police station without speaking to reporters. Cops said Chattopadhyay, who had also been asked to join the investigation, was yet to respond or face questions.
The FIR was registered at Gariahat PS on Thursday night following a complaint by a lawyer, Joydeep Sen, against the actors about a social media post made five years ago.
On May 2, 2021, after Trinamool swept the Assembly election, Chattopadhyay posted on X: "Aaaj Biswa Rograni Dibas Ghoshito Hok (Let today be declared World Beating Day)." Under the post, actress Mukherjee expressed agreement by commenting, "Hahaha, yes, let it happen!"
Chattopadhyay's wife Piya Chakraborty pointed out that the term ‘rograni' (thrashing) was originally used by BJP's Dilip Ghosh to intimidate dissenting artists and Parambrata's FB post was a dig at this comment.
Police said Mukherjee has been accused of endorsing or supporting those remarks online, with the complaint alleging such support further amplified tensions surrounding the violence that erupted after the polls. Police have invoked sections 109 and 153A of the IPC in the case. IPC Section 109 deals with abetment, while Section 153A pertains to promoting enmity and hatred between groups and is a non-bailable provision.