Bengali singer Lagnajita opens up on being heckled for 'Jaago Maa'; Police arrests school owner

The renowned Bengali singer Lagnajita Chakraborty faced a harrowing experience during a live performance at South Point Public School in Bhagwanpur, East Midnapore, on Saturday night. The incident allegedly began after Lagnajita performed several songs and started singing "Jago Maa" from the film Devi Chowdhurani. According to witnesses and the singer's complaint, Mehboob Mallik, one of the owners of the private school, took offense at the spiritual nature of the song and interrupted the show.

The situation escalated when Mallik reportedly climbed onto the stage and used abusive language, demanding that the singer perform "secular songs" instead of religious tracks. 'Jago Maa' Reports suggest that he even attempted to physically assault Lagnajita before being stopped by school staff and members of the audience. Feeling unsafe and insulted, the singer immediately stopped the performance and addressed the crowd over the microphone, informing them of the harassment before leaving the venue for the local police station.

Following a formal complaint by the singer and the event organizer, Sarthak Bhattacharya, the Bhagwanpur police registered a case and arrested Mehboob Mallik. The incident has sparked a political and social outcry, with several leaders condemning the attempt to curb artistic freedom. Questions have also been raised regarding the police response, as initial reports suggested the local OC was reluctant to file an FIR, leading to a departmental inquiry against him by the district police superintendent.

The singer later spoke to the media, stating that despite the threat and the traumatizing encounter, she remains firm in her artistic choices. She clarified that the school staff eventually removed the aggressive owner from the premises, but the damage to the event's security and decorum was already done. The police are currently investigating whether other individuals were involved in the harassment and if there were larger motives behind the interruption of the cultural program.