Published: 09:14 AM, 05 June 2026
Mamata Banerjee sued for Hadi murder comments
A case has been filed against West Bengal's immediate past Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following her comments on the arrest of the suspected killers of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi.
On Thursday, a lawyer named Rinky Chatterjee Singh filed the case against her at the Siliguri Cyber Police Station, according to the Indian news agency ANI.
In the complaint, the lawyer alleged: "Mamata Banerjee, from a political platform, claimed that she had secret discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India. She also made further allegations linking the Indian government and the Union Home Minister to a political killing in neighboring Bangladesh.
"Such statements, made publicly and through the media, were clearly intended to tarnish the reputation and credibility of the central government before the international community and to create hostility between two sovereign nations."
Rinky Chatterjee also accused Mamata Banerjee of making provocative and defamatory remarks against constitutional institutions and security agencies.
The lawyer further alleged: "Recently, at various public meetings, political platforms, and in the media, she has made several provocative and inflammatory statements against the Election Commission of India and the central armed forces responsible for maintaining law and order during elections, along with other constitutional institutions.
"She publicly questioned the integrity, impartiality, and credibility of these constitutional institutions. Through this, she attempted to instill distrust and discontent among the people against the state machinery."
On Tuesday, at a protest sit-in in the 'Y Channel' area of Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee strongly criticized the BJP, which is in power both in the state and at the center.
During her speech, she claimed that almost a month after losing power to the BJP, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asked her to "remain silent" regarding the arrest in West Bengal of the accused in a major killing that had occurred in Bangladesh the previous year.
A video of her statement circulated in various West Bengal media. A day after this statement, the case was filed against her.
Although she did not name the victim of the major killing in Bangladesh, the sequence of events suggests that the former Chief Minister was referring to the killing of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Osman Hadi in Dhaka in December 2025.
Referring to Hadi's killing, Mamata had said: "From Bangladesh, a major murderer was arrested by the state police's STF; this caused much unrest in Bangladesh. I am not talking about another country, nor do I have the right to. But what I want to say is that these killers came into West Bengal via the Meghalaya border. Once in Bengal, our STF caught them. That is their achievement.
"But then the Union Home Minister Amit Shah himself called me and told me to ensure the state police do not make this public, because it is a national matter. Who did they kill? Whose names came out? Even though the government has changed today, I know everything.
"My heart is like a treasury of words, a treasury of information. I haven't said anything all this time. But today, since oppression has reached its limit, I had to speak out. I do not want to reveal that name, because it would inflame Bangladesh. I love Bangladesh. In the interest of the country, I will not disclose the name."
Speaking to BBC Bangla, lawyer Rinky Chatterjee said: "When Mamata Banerjee took oath as Chief Minister, she swore to protect the country's security, sovereignty, and integrity. But her statement could harm India's relationship with neighboring Bangladesh."
He further stated: "India seeks friendly relations with its neighboring countries. The Bangladesh government, and even Osman Hadi's parents, did not point fingers at India regarding this killing. Therefore, Mamata Banerjee's remarks have created a major risk to the country's security.
"As a result of this statement, anti-India forces in Bangladesh could be activated, and minorities in Bangladesh could feel insecure."
