13 years on, Delhi Police serve notice on Mamata Banerjee in 2013 protest case

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee. File

Thirteen years after a major student agitation in New Delhi over the death of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) leader Sudipto Gupto in police custody in Kolkata, the Delhi Police on Monday served a notice on former West Bengal Mamata Banerjee in connection a case registered during the protest.

According to police officials, a team of Delhi police visited Ms. Banerjee’s residence on Harish Chatterjee Street in Kolkata's Kalighat to serve the notice.

"The notice was served under Section 160 of the Indian Penal Code in connection with case no 57/13 dated April 9, 2013. The case was registered at New Delhi's Parliament Street Police Station under sections 186, 353, 332,147,149, 34 of IPC," the police said in a statement.

The 2013 gherao of Banga Bhawan was part of a major student agitation in New Delhi triggered by the death of 22-year-old SFI leader Sudipto Gupta in police custody in Kolkata. On April 3, 2013, hundreds of SFI and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) protesters stormed and gheraoed Banga Bhawan, the official West Bengal government guest house on Hailey Road.

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Tensions escalated on April 9, 2013, outside the Planning Commission office, where the then West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra and Ms. Banerjee had arrived for an official meeting. Protesting Left Front and SFI activists gheraoed the area and allegedly heckled the leaders.

Following the incident, the Delhi Police registered a case at the Parliament Street Police Station on April 9 for allegedly obstructing public servants from discharging their duties.

In the notice served on Ms. Banerjee, the Delhi Police asked her to appear before the Parliament Street police station as a witness to record her statement.