Kolkata, 17 September (H.S.): Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh was interrogated by the Barasat Police in North 24 Parganas on Thursday in connection with a defamation complaint lodged by Barasat MP Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar. Stepping out of the police station following the completion of his questioning, Ghosh mounted a fierce offensive against the parliamentarian, invoking the contentious Narada sting operation and demanding that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrest and prosecute her.

The investigation was initiated after Ghosh Dastidar filed a police complaint accusing Ghosh of running a targeted social media campaign to harass and defame her and her family. Acting on the complaint, Barasat Police registered an FIR and summoned the Beleghata legislator, who appeared before investigators around 1:30 PM on Thursday with supporting documents and completed the interrogation process.

Speaking to journalists outside the police station after the questioning concluded, Ghosh dismissed all allegations as completely unfounded, maintaining that third-party comments on social media cannot be attributed to him and that such actions only waste police time. He stated that investigators questioned him regarding a satirical image of an extraterrestrial figure shared on his profile, pointing out that the post carried neither a name nor a specific identity. Defending his remarks, the journalist-turned-politician asserted that he frequently uses literary metaphors and political satire without breaching parliamentary propriety.

Ghosh further turned the tables on the complainant, questioning how Ghosh Dastidar remains out of prison despite being seen on camera allegedly accepting cash in the Narada sting footage. He announced that he would formally write to the CBI seeking immediate action regarding her role in the case. Additionally, Ghosh alleged that public healthcare infrastructure at state-run SSKM Hospital has been exploited by certain private clinics and doctors for commercial gain, demanding a comprehensive, high-level inquiry into the matter.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh