On Saturday, police said they had filed a case against a Calcutta University professor for allegedly threatening to murder Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media. According to a senior police official, the Hare Street police station launched an investigation against Arindam Bhattacharya, a professor at the Zoology Department, after a complaint was made by Ph.D. researcher Tamal Dutta.

Bhattacharya was booked under IPC sections 505 (1B) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public), 506 (threat be to cause death or grievous hurt) and 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), said Murlidhar Sharma, the joint commissioner of police (crime).

The professor is yet to be taken into custody, police said. When contacted, Bhattacharya said, "I didn't make any comments against the chief minister. The complainant is a Trinamool Congress supporter. I am waiting for the police to take steps and only after that I will seek legal advice on this."

Bhattacharya's social media statements were criticized by the TMC-backed West Bengal College and University Professors Association. Ambikesh Mahapatra, a chemistry professor at Jadavpur University, was arrested in April 2012 for reportedly sharing a cartoon mocking the state government.