Roopa Ganguly arrested amid protests over death of schoolboy in West Bengal's Basdroni

Renowned Bengali actress, singer, and politician Roopa Ganguly was arrested on Thursday following her participation in an overnight protest sparked by the tragic death of a 14-year-old schoolboy in Basdroni. Ganguly, widely recognized for her portrayal of Draupadi in B.R. Chopra's classic TV series Mahabharat, was detained by the Kolkata Police and taken to the headquarters at Lalbazar.

According to police sources, the former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP was arrested for allegedly obstructing police officers from carrying out their duties during the protest. The demonstrations were in response to the untimely death of a student, who was struck by an excavator near his tuition center on Wednesday, October 2.

Eyewitnesses recounted that the boy, who was standing beside his bicycle, was fatally injured by the excavator and later pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital. The incident, which many locals attributed to deteriorating road conditions in the area, has sent shockwaves through the Basdroni community.

Anger and frustration gripped the neighborhood, with residents blaming civic negligence for the tragedy. Protesters vented their fury by vandalizing the excavator involved in the incident and confronting the local Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor, accusing him of ignoring the perilous state of the roads. The protests escalated overnight, culminating in Ganguly’s arrest as tensions between residents and authorities boiled over.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many calling for accountability from local officials and demanding immediate action to address safety concerns on the city’s roads.

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