Calcutta High Court Stays FIRs Against ‘The Bengal Files’

• The Calcutta High Court has granted an interim stay on police complaints against director Vivek Agnihotri’s new film, “The Bengal Files.”
• Agnihotri has accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of attempting to obstruct the film’s release by filing multiple FIRs.
• The police complaints alleged that the film could lead to communal disharmony in the state ahead of the Assembly elections.

GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 6th Aug: Director Vivek Agnihotri’s newest film, “The Bengal Files,” has ignited a political and legal controversy even before its scheduled release on September 5, with the Calcutta High Court granting an interim stay on police complaints filed against the film.

Agnihotri, who is in the United States to promote the film, has accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of trying to obstruct the movie by filing multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) in various cities, including Murshidabad. The complaints alleged that the film’s release could lead to communal disharmony in the state, which is months away from an Assembly election.

In a video statement posted on X, Agnihotri slammed the TMC for attempting to “bury the truth” about what he calls “Hindu genocide.” He celebrated the court’s interim stay on the police complaints until August 26, with the next hearing scheduled for August 19.

“While I am here, you won’t believe it… the ruling party of West Bengal and their members have been filing so many FIRs against us,” he said, adding that the party’s strategy was to “trap us with legal hassles so we can’t focus on the film.” The director also challenged the TMC, asking why they were against his film and why they did not want this “dark chapter” of history to be made public.

Neither the Trinamool Congress nor Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has issued a formal response to Agnihotri’s claims. The controversy comes two years after Banerjee’s government banned the screening of another film, “The Kerala Story,” a decision that was later set aside by the Supreme Court.

The developments are unfolding against the backdrop of a critical Assembly election next year, where the BJP, with its “muscular nationalism” brand, continues to be the primary challenger to the TMC.