Indo-Asian News Service, via Hindustan Times, reports:

A complaint was lodged against an eminent Bengali litterateur by a former police official for “defiling” Hindu goddess of learning Saraswati by “expressing” his carnal desire for the deity’s female form.

A police complaint was lodged in the city against Bengali novelist Sunil Gangopadhayay by retired additional director general of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Bibhutibhusan Nandy.

Nandy has accused the writer of hurting religious sentiments by what he termed as obscene comments on the goddess in an autobiographical account, excerpts of which were carried by a Bengali daily.

The First Information Report (FIR) was filed under sections 295 and 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to defilement of sacred objects and insulting religious beliefs.

While police confirmed the news, Sunil Gangopadhayay said he was not aware of the legal proceedings.

“A report published in Bengali daily Ananda Bazar Patrika on March 28 quoted the writer saying that he was aroused by an idol of the goddess and had fondled the clay image for gratification. This is not only depravity and perversion of the person but also amounts to desecration of the goddess of learning,” Nandy said.

“The Jadavpur police station in south Kolkata did not accept my FIR and I had to lodge it finally with the additional superintendent of police of South 24 Parganas district. If the police fail to take action I would move Calcutta High Court,” Nandy said.

“I was shocked to read the recipient of the Saraswati Puraskar (a literary award) boasting that he was rewarded with the award by Saraswati for ‘desiring’ the goddess,” said Nandy, who retired in 2000 as the national security advisor to the government of Mauritius.

Nandy, who worked with the police for three decades, also lodged complaints against the publisher and editor of the daily.

Sunil Gangopadhay, one of the top ranking Indian novelists, was a member of a government committee that suggested banning a book by exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen in 2003 on the grounds that it hurt sentiments of Muslims.