A lecturer at Silchar’s Gurcharan College was arrested on the night of February 28th, 2020 for posting “objectionable material on Facebook”.

The FIR against Souradeep Sengupta was lodged by 10 students of his college for “making derogatory remarks and abusing the Sanatan Dharma, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hindutva” in the “context of the recent Delhi violence”. Sengupta is a guest lecturer of Physics at Gurcharan College for the past one year.

The students also alleged that the Sengupta tried to incite communal violence by making provocative comments against the Hindu community. Based on the FIR lodged at the Sadar Police Station Silchar, Sengupta was booked under sections 295(A), 153(A), 507 IPC and 66 (IT Act).

The lecturer had allegedly shared a post on Facebook in the reference to the communal clash in North East Delhi, suggesting that some sections were trying to recreate Godhra riots of 2002 in the capital territory. He later deleted the post following the backlash.

Sengupta also apologised for hurting “any religious sentiments”. “I apologise for any religious sentiments I may have hurt by my posts. I made some irresponsible comments about a communally sensitive issue. It was a lapse of judgement. My intention was not to insult any religion at large,” he posted on February 27th, 2020.

However, the students filed an FIR and also submitted a memorandum to the Principal of the college on February 28th, 2020 asking for Sengupta’s “immediate termination”. Sengupta’s family said that a group of students also gheraoed their residence and raised slogans against him.

Photo: Time8