Expelled CPIM MP Ritabrata Banerjee granted conditional anticipatory bail

The District Court of Balurghat has granted conditional anticipatory bail to Rajya Sabha MP Ritabrata Banerjee against a personal bond. The Court however has asked him to surrender within three weeks and cooperate with the CID in the investigations.

On October 10, police had initiated a case against Banerjee based on a complaint against him at the Balurghat Police Station in South Dinajpur district of West Bengal by software engineer Namrata Dutta, pressing charges of sexual exploitation against the MP. The case was later transferred to the CID.

Despite repeated summons Banerjee had failed to turn up for questioning.

Anirban Guhathakurta, Banerjee's lawyer stated "he has been granted conditional anticipatory bail against a personal bond of Rs. 5000/- . He has been ordered to surrender within 3 weeks and cooperate with the investigating agency."

Reacting to the judgment, Namrata Dutta, talking to media persons stated that she had full faith in the judiciary. "However if required I will approach the higher court" stated Dutta.

Namrata Dutta's police complaint states that she has met the MP on a social network site in May 2016. A relationship developed and Ritabrata Banerjee said that he wanted to marry Dutta. He even came to Balurghat and met Dutta's mother.

Alleging physical relations, the complaint stated "He lured me to his 104, South Avenue Apartment" where he allegedly physically exploited her.

They allegedly met a number of times. Dutta was studying in Netherlands since October 2016 and Banerjee paid her a visit in Netherlands in December 2016 claimed the complaint.

"During that time we had problems and I wanted to end the relationship. He threatened to commit suicide by consuming sleeping pills. Thus I was forced to stay in the relationship" stated the complaint.

The complaint stated that now the MP is denying to marry Datta and was avoiding her calls. She also alleged that he was in a fresh relationship and has been threatening her with dire consequences.

"He also wanted to to bribe me by promising to give me Rs. 50 lakhs so that I do not talk to the media and keep our relationship a secret" stated the complaint.

"He used me, outraging my modesty and also transferred Rs. 2.5 lakhs to my bank account as compensation for having a physical relationship with me" alleged Datta in the complaint.

Incidentally Ritabrata Banerjee is a Member of Parliament (MP) who on September 17 was expelled from the primary membership of the CPIM party for grave anti-party activities, including "moral degeneration in relation to woman."

The MP too had lodged a complaint against Dutta at the Garfa Police Station in Kolkata on October 6 demanded stern action against the woman stating that she has been blackmailing him and trying to malign him.

OneIndia News