Saikat Talapatra, an online content creator from Tripura arrested by Tripura police’s crime branch from Kolkata.

 

Saikat Talapatra, an online content creator from Tripura, notorious for conducting a smear campaign against various political figures, found himself in handcuffs as a special team from the state's crime branch apprehended him at 3:00 AM. The arrest took place in his hideout, a rented house located in the Muragachha area near the Barasat road, New Town, Calcutta, within the jurisdiction of North Twenty Four Parganas district. Following his arrest, Saikat was swiftly transported to Agartala via air by the crime branch team and was temporarily held at the NCC police station near the state secretariat while awaiting his court appearance. It is anticipated that the authorities will request remand to facilitate further interrogation.

Multiple cases have been filed against Saikat Talapatra under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for his baseless defamation campaigns targeting prominent political figures. These include the incumbent Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, his brothers Ratan Saha and Tapan Saha, former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, as well as other ministers such as Ratan Lal Nath and 'Tipra Motha' chief Pradyot Kishore, along with former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, among many other VIPs. The state police, in collaboration with the Cyber Cell, had been meticulously tracking Saikat Talapatra's movements and whereabouts under the guidance of a high-ranking official with connections to the CBI. After pinpointing his location, the Tripura police, with assistance from officers at Ghola police station in North Twenty Four Parganas, successfully apprehended Saikat at his Muragachha residence. Despite frequently changing residences to evade law enforcement, he was finally cornered on this occasion.

Allegedly, a group of advocates and political individuals affiliated with the ruling party had colluded with Saikat Talapatra, who had also been engaging in extortion tactics to extract money and other benefits from his targets. The police are preparing a comprehensive charge-sheet against this self-described "digital terrorist" and blackmailer. While one specific advocate, believed to be close to Saikat, is expected to represent him in court, the police are closely monitoring individuals showing sympathy towards him. Furthermore, Ratan Saha, the elder brother of Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha and a victim of Saikat's vilification campaign, is scheduled to arrive from Calcutta to file an additional FIR against Saikat Talapatra, further bolstering the case against him.

Saikat Talapatra, who had once been a full-time teacher in the Tripura government but lost his job due to dereliction of duty, transitioned to journalism. He initially worked for the now-defunct 'NE India' channel and subsequently spent some time at the local 'Awaz' channel, which was once associated with the notorious figure, Mona Das. Gradually, he ventured into creating content on 'Facebook' and 'Youtube,' where he pursued his yellow journalism, characterized by the vilification of prominent political personalities in the state and attempts to extort substantial sums of money from his victims.