Bengali actress, playback singer, and politician Roopa Ganguly was arrested on Thursday following an overnight protest against the tragic death of a schoolboy in Basdroni.
The former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, renowned for her portrayal of Draupadi in B.R. Chopra's iconic television series Mahabharat, was taken into custody and brought to the Kolkata Police Headquarters at Lalbazar.
According to Kolkata Police officials, Ganguly's arrest stemmed from charges of obstructing police officers from performing their lawful duties during the protest.
The unrest was ignited after a 14-year-old student was tragically struck and killed by an excavator on Wednesday, October 2, near his tuition center. Eyewitnesses reported that the student was crushed while standing beside his bicycle, and he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
In the aftermath of the incident, which many residents attributed to poor road conditions, protests erupted across the Bansdroni area. Locals expressed their anger by vandalizing the excavator involved and confronting the local Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor, accusing him of negligence.
Tensions escalated further as demonstrators blocked roads and temporarily held the Officer-in-Charge of the local police station hostage.
Ganguly commented on the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the incident, stating that it occurred early on Mahalaya morning. She emphasized the need for accountability, noting that the payloader that killed the young student was being operated during a training session and that the original driver was not behind the wheel at the time.
Additionally, she alleged that the four trainees operating the vehicle were intoxicated and had ties to the local TMC councillor representing the area.
