Singer Noble sued in India

Bangladeshi singer Mainul Ahsan Noble has been sued in Indian state Tripura for allegedly making defamatory remarks against the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media.

Suman Paul, a resident of Belonia town, filed the lawsuit on May 25 with South Tripura Police against Noble, who acquired fame through Zee Bangla's popular music reality show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Rajib Dutta, officer-in-charge of Belonia Police Station, said as per the complaint, the Bangladeshi singer had "abused Modi" in a Facebook post calling him a "mere chawala (tea seller)".

However, the complainant, a student of Pandit Deen Dayal Petroleum University at Gandhinagar in Gujarat, claimed, "Noble is not yet a popular singer in Bangladesh and has always been rejected by the audience of that country. He participated in the TV music reality show called Sa Re Ga Ma Pa in Kolkata, earned money, gained fame and returned to Bangladesh. If the person insults our Prime Minister it cannot be accepted. So, I filed the FIR."

Belonia Superintendent of Police Jal Singh Meena confirmed that the complaint was registered and forwarded to Tripura police's cyber crime cell.

On the same day, the complainant also filed a lawsuit with Belonia Police Station under Indian Penal code sections 500 (punishment for defamation), 504 (intentional insult), 505 (public mischief) and the IT Act.

"We have started an investigation into the issue," the SP said.