West Bengal: Judge who criticised Mamata Banerjee gets threat calls

Kolkata: After he criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her "corruption in judiciary" remarks, retired Calcutta High Court judge and former Lokayukta Samaresh Banerjee has complained about receiving anonymous threat calls, police said on Friday.

Bidhannagar police commissioner Rajeev Kumar said that Samaresh Banerjee had filed two complaints on Thursday night stating that he received two anonymous threat calls.

"Our investigation showed that the first call was made from a mobile procured in the name of woman but being used by some other person. We are trying to locate him."

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"I have no doubt that the calls were made after my remarks directed at (chief minister) Banerjee," the retired judge said.

Samaresh Banerjee said he received the anonymous calls late Wednesday and Thursday evening. One of the callers claimed he was a journalist with an English daily and threatened him for his comments.

The calls were made hours after he participated in a panel discussion on a television channel and made critical remarks against the Chief Minister for her comments that she made at the state assembly on Tuesday.

Following the threats, the former Lokayukta filed a written complaint with the Bidhannagar Police station and also made available to the police the telephone number from which the calls were made.

He demanded arrests of the culprits and also expressed concern over the whole issue.

Samaresh Banerjee, who retired as the state's first Lokayukta in February 2009, said that if people lose faith in the judiciary, there will be no democracy.

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