IISER Scientist gets bail in West Bengal

A West Bengal court Tuesday granted bail to internationally acclaimed scientist Partho Sarothi Roy who was put behind bars for taking part in an anti-eviction drive, his lawyer said.

The relief comes a day after eminent national and international personalities including US-based academician-intellectual Noam Chomsky wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking Roy’s release.

“Partha Sarothi Roy was granted bail today (Tuesday) by the court of additional chief judicial magistrate (Alipore) Shahnawaz Khan. He will be released from the correctional home (jail) tomorrow (Wednesday),” Roy’s counsel Shankar Mukherjee told IANS.

An assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research at Kalyani in Nadia district, Roy was arrested with 68 others April 8 for their alleged involvement in a clash with police during a rally April 4.

Roy had participated in the rally which was taken out after the state government March 30 demolished some shanties in Nonadanga, east of the city.

Even though 62 of the people arrested were released, Roy, along with six others, was sent to police custody.