Fake Audio Case: Calcutta HC Grants Protection from Arrest to Actor-Politician Hiran

The Calcutta High Court has issued a directive to the police, instructing them not to arrest actor-politician Hiranmoy Chattopadhyay (aka Hiran) without prior permission from the court.

This directive comes in connection with a case related to the alleged tampering of the voice of Chattopadhyay’s opponent candidate, Deb, leading up to the Ghatal Lok Sabha polls.

Police Investigation

However, the court has granted permission for the police to continue their investigation into the case filed at the Ghatal police station in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district on May 18.

During the hearing of a petition filed by Chattopadhyay and another individual, Justice Amrita Sinha ordered that the police refrain from arresting the accused parties without first obtaining permission from the court.

Background of the Case

Both Deepak Adhikari, popularly known as Deb, and Chattopadhyay, who is known as Hiran, are well-known Bengali actors. Deb emerged victorious as a Trinamool Congress candidate against Chattopadhyay, who represented the BJP, in the Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency.

Advocate Rajdeep Majumder, representing Chattopadhyay and his personal assistant, informed the court that the complaint filed by an individual alleged the creation of a fake audio of Deb. Majumder argued that the accusation was unfounded and requested the quashing of the FIR against Chattopadhyay.

He further informed the court that forensic testing of the voice samples in question had not yet been conducted. Majumder urged the court to grant protection to the petitioners until it was established whether the audio had indeed been doctored, as alleged by the complainant.

The petition faced opposition from the state’s counsel, who urged the court to allow the investigation to proceed unhindered.

Justice Sinha, on May 24, a day before the Ghatal Lok Sabha seat election, had restrained the police from taking further action on the FIR until June 17, or until further orders are issued, whichever comes earlier.

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