Police have arrested one person in West Bengal for posting "defamatory" remarks about a Trinamool Congress councillor on Facebook. Rohit Passi, a small time contractor in Jalpaiguri's Malbazar town was arrested on Friday night after a complaint by local Trinamool councillor Pulin Golder.

Golder, a Trinamool councillor from ward no.12 of Malbazar municipality had filed a police complaint on Friday stating that Passi's Facebook post was intended to defame him and his party in the area.

"The post said that I was a blot on the face of our area. This was an insult for me and my party. I decided to file the police complaint as it was aimed to tarnish my image," said Golder.

It all began with Rohit posting a comment on Facebook about the death of his friend Gurdeep Singh. Singh had died in December last year following a brawl with some locals after a bike accident. Gurdeep's family allege that he died of brain haemorrhage after being hit on the head with a helmet. The main accused, a local Trinamool worker was arrested in the case, while two others are absconding.

On Friday, Rohit was accompanying his friend's family for the hearing at Jalpaiguri district court. At the court, Rohit claims he saw Trinamool councillor Pulin Golder escorting the parents of the accused in his own car. Demoralised with the incident, he went home and shared his disappointment on social media.

Rohit wrote on Facebook, "Today I saw a local Malbazar leader at the court. Not sure, if we can call him a leader or an actor. One who is such an expert in switching political loyalties. He was escorting the accused's parents in his own car. Such people call themselves leaders. They never felt the urge to stand beside the victim's family but are keen to stand by the accused in court. This is such a shame for our society. We won't tolerate any politics over death."

Acting swiftly on the Trinamool councillor's complaint, Rohit was picked up from his residence and arrested within two hours of his comment on social media. Interestingly, he had not named any leader or political party in his post.

"Suddenly policemen came to my house and forcefully picked me up. They didn't even give a chance to speak," says Rohit adding that the Trinamool councillor was himself present at police station with his men and openly threatened him infront of the police.

"I was taken to the OC's room where Malbazar SDPO was himself present. They refused to listen to me and I was put in the lock up," he adds.

The district police has however refuted Rohit's claim. Jalpaiguri superintendent of police Akash Magharia said, "This is not connected to the Facebook post. He was arrested under CrPC Section 107 to maintain peace and tranquillity in the area."

Echoing the police, Trinamool spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien said, "Some local channels distorting news without checking facts. Deliberate distortion? No one in Malbazaar has been arrested for a Facebook post."

Though out on bail, Rohit says he is scared after such open intimidation and threat by the ruling party councillor. "I'm scared and I hope the police provides me protection. This is an open attack on my freedom of expression," says Passi adding that he will consider moving an appeal before the Human Rights Commission.

Remember, a professor from Kolkata's prestigious Jadavpur University Ambikesh Mahapatra was also arrested in 2012 for circulating a photo spoof on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

