Professor resisted TMC contractors from getting into housing society

Behind the arrest of Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra under several sections of IPC and IT Act for allegedly circulating a cartoon derogatory to Mamata Banerjee, lies a story of powergrab.

For three years, Mahapatra has been assistant secretary of the New Garia Housing Cooperative Society and Subrata Sengupta its secretary. Sengupta was arrested as well in the cartoon case.

Sources said local TMC leaders who control the "building material-supply syndicates" in the neighbourhood have been upset with Mahapatra and Sengupta. Reason: Both had blocked contracts all to these TMC-backed contractors after questions over alleged misappropiation of funds by their predecessors in the society which has 450 independent homes.

Several times, sources said, Mahapatra was allegedly threatened and told not to contest the housing society election scheduled for May 20.

Some members of the society who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisal said Mahapatra even restricted the entry of some of the TMC contractors into the housing complex over corruption charges.

When asked about this, Mahapatra said: "Society election is due on May 20 and a notification has been issued in this regard. I do not know whether there is a conspiracy against me. But I had no ill intention in forwarding the e-mail. I received the email and forwarded it as an innocent joke. I sent an apology e-mail to all the members of the cooperative on April 6. However, yesterday, when I was being beaten up, I was repeatedly asked to write that I am resigning from the post of the assistant secretary of the housing society."

Mahapatra is also chairman of the cooperative society of Jadavpur University. "He is very meticulous about handling finances. He runs our cooperative society but there has never been any complaint against him," said Partha Pratim Roy, professor in JU's chemistry department and a colleague of Mahapatra.

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