A social media influencer was arrested by the Cyber Wing of the Kolkata Police in connection with a post alleging that Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra was smoking an e-cigarette inside Parliament. The influencer was later released on bail, police officials confirmed on Monday.
The influencer, identified as Shashank Singh, was detained late at night and formally arrested in the early hours of Monday. Police sources said he was taken into custody around 1 am and subsequently granted bail. Authorities declined to share further details about the ongoing investigation.
Singh operates the X handle &ldquo;BefittingFacts,&rdquo; which has a following of over 4.5 lakh users. On December 11, the account had posted a message claiming that Mahua Moitra was smoking an e-cigarette inside Parliament. The post was accompanied by a video clip showing BJP MP Anurag Thakur raising the issue before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
The arrest followed the registration of an FIR based on a complaint filed by the TMC&rsquo;s State General Secretary for IT and Social Media. In the complaint, the influencer was accused of circulating fake, fabricated and defamatory content. The post was alleged to be manipulated, misleading and factually incorrect, and described as a deliberate attempt to spread disinformation.
Police officials said the influencer was detained at midnight and later shown as arrested, but remained tight-lipped about the specific legal provisions invoked or the next steps in the probe.
The arrest triggered sharp political reactions. BJP IT Cell in-charge Amit Malviya criticised the move on social media, accusing the ruling party in West Bengal of curbing freedom of speech and targeting voices critical of the government. He described the arrest as a midnight action against dissent and said the party had ensured that the influencer secured bail.
The case has once again brought the debate over online speech, political criticism and law enforcement action into focus, with investigations still underway.

Police sources said Singh was detained at 1 am

Kolkata Police detain influencer over Parliament e-cigarette post; bail granted

Influencer Arrested Over Mahua Moitra Post

Kolkata Police detain influencer over Parliament e-cigarette post; bail granted

December 16, 2025 | 18:58 IST