Lady who wrote "Set Nabanna on Fire" on Facebook gets anticipatory bail by Calcutta HC

The Calcutta High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Sangjukta Ray, a young woman accused of posting provocative content on Facebook, including the remark “set Nabanna on fire.” The complaint was filed at the Tangra police station in Kolkata, following Ray's post about Nabanna, the West Bengal government headquarters, which was allegedly inflammatory. The police began investigating the matter after the post was flagged for potential incitement of violence, prompting concern over public safety and law and order.

Ray, who had already been summoned multiple times by the police for questioning, approached the Calcutta High Court for anticipatory bail, claiming that she was being harassed and falsely implicated. In her petition, Ray argued that her comment was taken out of context and that she did not intend to incite violence. She also asserted that the police actions were an attempt to frame her based on a single social media post without any substantial evidence.

Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, while granting anticipatory bail, allowed the police to continue their investigation but set conditions to ensure due process was followed. The court ruled that the police could question Ray but only after giving her a 48-hour notice, allowing her time to prepare for interrogation. Additionally, Justice Ghosh ordered the state authorities to submit the case diary, ensuring transparency in the investigative process and preventing potential misuse of power.