A TMC leader named Mehboob Malik has been arrested for harassing West Bengal-based singer Lagnajita Chakraborty right in the middle of her live concert at a private school in East Midnapore’s Bhagwanpur, on Saturday, 20th December. The incident took place during a programme at South Point Public School in the Bhagabanpur area.
‘Enough is enough, now sing something secular’: Bengali singer Lagnajita Chakraborty harassed for singing devotional songs, 1 arrested https://t.co/hplUXACEKm
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) December 21, 2025
The program started normally at around 7 pm, but Mehboob Mallik lost his control when she started singing a Hindu religious song titled “Jago Maa” from the film Devi Chowdhurani. He went up to the stage, told her to stop singing the song and switch to a secular song instead. Mallik was the main organiser of the event and is also the owner of the private school.
Chakraborty revealed, “He rushed to the stage when I began singing the religious song, and he attempted to beat me”. He started shouting at her and said, “Onek Jago Maa hoyeche, ebar kichu secular gaa (enough of Jago Maa, now sing some secular song),” she said.
In her complaint to the police, she said, “He wanted to beat me up.” Additionally, she added that the officer in charge of Bhagwanpur police station initially refused to register a case against Mallik. The police registered the case later and arrested him.
Mallik’s involvement has been confirmed by senior police officer Mitun Dey, who said that an inquiry has been initiated against the officer-in-charge and another officer at the Bhagwanpur station for neglect. “We will take action against them,” Dey said.
Mehboob’s brother, Masud Mallik, called the charge a lie. He said, ‘She was singing a religious song from her movie. We asked her to sing a secular song since it was a function of a school. She stopped performing and headed to the police station.”
Chakraborty rejected this claim by saying. “I have faith in the police and I would like them to take this seriously,”.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intervened, citing that Mallik is a member of the ruling political party Trinamool Congress. “West Bengal is in the grip of Jihadis. They are giving direction to the singers about what all they can and cannot sing,” said a BJP leader Shankudeb Panda.
He stated that when Chakraborty went to file the complaint at a police station, Mamata Banerjee’s police initially refused to register the complaint. Even the Trinamool Congress has not reacted yet.