A local court in Agartala on Sunday remanded Facebook user Anupam Paul, who was arrested for posting fake news about Chief Minister Biplab Deb’s divorce, in police custody for three days, The Indian Express reported. Paul, who had been on the run since April 26, was arrested by a special team of Tripura Police Crime Branch in New Delhi on June 10.
Subsequently, Paul was produced before the metropolitan magistrate in Delhi to seek transit remand. He was then brought to Tripura.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Bidyut Sutradhar told The Indian Express that Paul was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate Sarmistha Mukherjee. The prosecution had pleaded for five-day custody of Paul but was granted only three, he added. The accused will be produced in court next on June 18.
Paul had written on social media on April 26 that the chief minister’s wife Niti Deb had filed for divorce. After Niti Deb issued a denial, the Tripura Police arrested a freelance journalist and a constable for sharing Paul’s post.
Paul was named in a first information report last year for calling former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar a “thief” and a “beggar” on social media. He had also allegedly photoshopped images of Sarkar, former state Congress President Birajit Sinha and Rose Valley Group Chairperson Goutam Kundu.
Last month, Paul had accused supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of burning down his home, and abducting his mother and brother. The BJP, however, dismissed the charges.
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