KOLKATA, Sept. 3 -- The Calcutta high court on Thursday said that a poster displayed by Bengal actor Sreelekha Mitra during the students' protest in July was "distasteful" and shocked the conscience of the court.

Justice Saugata Bhattacharya ordered the police not to take any coercive steps against the accused in the 16 FIRs registered against her in the state over the poster that depicted an objectionable cartoon on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ordered the police not to take any coercive steps against the accused till she cooperates with the investigators.

Mitra was photographed with the poster on July 24 when she joined students protesting on the streets of Kolkata against NEET examination paper leak and demanding the resignation ...