The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has allegedly summoned a prominent scientist Professor Partho Sarothi Ray, from Kolkata in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case.
Ray is associated with the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, one of India’s premier science institutes. He has been asked to appear before the probe agency later this month.
Ray, a Ph. D. in molecular virology, is a renowned social worker and the convenor of the West Bengal unit of the Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PPSC).
Terming it a “witch hunt” against professor Ray, a statement has been released in support of him, which reads: “He is a front-runner in the present battle against Covid-19. His idea of community participation has been successfully implemented in Nadia district, inviting widespread interest. He was among the scientists consulted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to understand the coronavirus’s character and formulate a policy to tackle the pandemic.”
More than 200 prominent personalities, including activist Dr. Binayak Sen, author Arundhati Roy, Columbia University professor Partha Chatterjee, and filmmaker Sanjay Kak among others, have come in support of Professor Partho Sarothi Ray.