Kolkata court grants bail to arson accused

A court here Friday granted bail to pest controller Jyotirmoy Nandi who was arrested for "attempting to burn down" the iconic Writers' Buildings which houses the West Bengal secretariat.

"The court of chief metropolitan magistrate granted bail to Nandi who was booked under IPC Section 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substances with intent to destroy house etc.) and Section 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life)," his counsel said.

After files daubed with kerosene were found in the premises of the 18th century structure Nov 29, Home Secretary Basudeb Banerjee had ordered a probe saying "someone or a group was trying to set the Writers' Buildings on fire".

Nandi was arrested a day after and remanded to police custody.

On the expiry of his custody, he was Friday presented before a court which granted him bail.

The incident attracted controversy. Bismay Roy, registrar of the home publication department, where the kerosene daubed files were found, confirmed that Nandi was appointed in a pest-control capacity and was just going about his job.

"Nandi is innocent, he had no malice or bad intention. He has been carrying out a routine pest control exercise for which he has been contracted by the department," Roy had said.