Bidhannagar Police Issue Clarification on Data Request Following BJP Allegations
In a significant development, the Bidhannagar Police in Kolkata issued a formal clarification on Tuesday after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raised serious allegations regarding the alleged misuse of police powers. The controversy centered around requests made to social media platform X for personal details of users who had commented on the murder of a Salt Lake trader.
Police Reject Connection to Murder Investigation
The Bidhannagar Cyber Police released a detailed statement categorically rejecting claims that their data requisition was connected to the ongoing investigation into the murder of gold trader Swapan Kamillya. According to the official clarification, the requests made to X's legal representatives were strictly limited to three separate cyber cases and were conducted following proper legal procedures.
"We deeply regret any confusion or misinformation caused by unintentional error," stated the Cyber Police in their official communication, acknowledging the controversy that had emerged.
Clerical Error Acknowledged and Corrected
During their internal review process, police authorities discovered that an additional requisition email had inadvertently included the reference number of an unrelated case. The police characterized this as a purely clerical error that was promptly addressed.
Upon identifying the mistake, the Cyber Police immediately sent corrective communication to X, clarifying the nature of the error and ensuring that the platform had accurate information about the legitimate scope of their investigation.
BJP's Allegations Spark Controversy
The police clarification came in direct response to an X post by BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, who had accused Bengal police of engaging in what he termed "political policing." Malviya claimed that law enforcement had written to the microblogging platform seeking email IDs, IP addresses, and contact numbers of five specific users who had commented on the murder case.
Malviya's allegations included serious charges that instead of focusing on arresting the fugitive Block Development Officer (BDO) Prashanta Barman, police were attempting to "track, intimidate and silence voices critical of the TMC." He further criticized what he described as an "extreme misuse of power" and suggested that criminal cases were being used as a pretext for digital surveillance of political opponents.
Background of the Murder Case
The controversy stems from the November 2025 murder of gold trader Swapan Kamillya in New Town, which has remained a high-profile case in Kolkata. In connection with this investigation, Cooch Behar Trinamool Congress neta Sajal Sarkar was arrested, while another accused, BDO Prashanta Barman, remains at large despite the Supreme Court directing him to surrender.
The police clarification emphasizes that their cyber investigations are proceeding independently of this murder case, though the timing of the data requests created significant political tension and public scrutiny of police procedures in digital investigations.
