Rupam Nandi Purkayastha’s 2012 Defamation Case, Non-Bailable Warrant of Arrest Against Editor of Daily Broadsheet

A Non-Bailable Warrant of Arrest (NBWA) has been issued against Taimur Raja Choudhry, the Editor-in-chief of Samayik Prasanga, a Bengali daily newspaper based out of Silchar. The NBWA has been issued after Choudhry missed the court summons in the “Rupam Nandi Purkayastha VS Kajal Debnath & Ors Accused” case. The cases that date back to 2012 accuse two members of “Vishwavidyalay Suraksha Samity” of Irongmara and three associated with the Samayik Prasanga Dainik. Rupam Nandi Purkayastha, the complainant accused the five of defamation and maligning the image of the complainant, a former President of ACKSHA. He filed a criminal case of defamation.

During a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, Nandi Purkayastha stated, “On May 30, 2012, I sought legal protection. The April 25 and 26 editions of Dainik Samayik Prasanga in 2012 published some objectionable news about me. The reports accused me of receiving 26 lakhs for a tender from the then Vice-Chancellor of the university, Dr Tapodhir Bhattacharya. They alleged that I had manipulated the university’s tender process to secure contracts for myself and supply goods to the university. I took legal action against these claims and filed a criminal defamation case against the five people involved in maligning my image. On April 23 and June 6, Taimur Raja Choudhry failed to appear in court, missing two summons. Consequently, a Non-Bailable Warrant of Arrest has been issued against him for his absences in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate. He did not provide any excuse or justification for his absence.”

The news published by the paper accused Rupam Nandi Purkayastha of corruption charges and taking advantage of this influence and position. Samayik Prasanaga based on the press conference called by the Vishwavidyalay Suraksha Samity also exposed the employment status of Rupam’s brothers Gautam Nandi Purkayastha, the Security Officer and Dr Sujit Nandi Purkayastha, the Medical Advisor. The news dated April 26, 2012, also revealed that another nephew of Purkayastha was also employed in the Computer Department of the varsity. Samayik Prasanag revealed that the locals of Irongamara, whose lands were acquired for building Assam University couldn’t even land the jobs of sweeper or poem but three people from the Purkayastha family got posh postings along with Rupam Nandi himself getting priority of tender selection over other contractors.

Purkayastha accused the paper of maligning his image. The complaint submitted to the court of the Cheif Judicial Magistrate read, “The complainant/Petitioner is a former ACKHSA President of which he is presently an Adviser besides being the Vice President of Assam Pradesh Trinamool Congress, and also a businessman. The impugned news items which had no truth in it caused irreparable damage and loss to the reputation of the complainant and his family members as the accused meticulously planned, connived to plant the false news story to impede his progress as an upcoming leader of National stature causing serious harm to nation building”.

“The case is ongoing and I am hopeful of the due legal course of action”, said Purkayastha in conclusion. The case was filed against 5 people, Kajal Debnath and Rupak Das, the president and secretary of the Vishwavidyalay Suraksha Samity who held the press conference in 2012. Other than that, Taimur Raja Choudhry, the Editor of Samayik Prasanga along with the Publisher, Ripon Nath and the journalist of that time, Uttam Saha. While on the June 6 court hearing, all the other co-accused were present, Taimur Raja Choudhruy’s absence invited him a NBWA.