Bengal: Civic Volunteer Arrested For 'Assisting' Trinamool MLA's Attempted Escape

(MENAFN- IANS) Kolkata, Nov 10 (IANS) Bikash Sahani, a civic volunteer attached to the Intelligence Branch (IB) of the West Bengal Police, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly aiding Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Paresh Ram Das in his attempted escape to Mumbai.

Das, the MLA representing Canning (Paschim) in South 24 Parganas district and an accused in a rape case, was apprehended by state police at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata on Monday evening while attempting to board a flight to Mumbai after evading arrest for 17 days.

Subsequent investigations conducted by the Baruipur Police District revealed that Sahani not only facilitated Das's escape plans but also leaked confidential police intelligence to the absconding lawmaker.

State police sources stated that by virtue of his assignment with the IB, which has state-wide jurisdiction, Sahani had access to sensitive operational information across multiple police stations.

Preliminary findings indicate that Sahani routinely shared confidential updates with Das, enabling the legislator to evade tracking units and plan his movements. Sahani is currently undergoing intensive interrogation by the investigating team.

Das is the prime accused in Canning Police Station Case No. 561/2026, registered on September 5, 2026, under Sections 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Das remains among the few sitting TMC legislators maintaining allegiance to the party's minority faction led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew.

Commenting on the arrest, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari labelled Das an identified extortionist in the Canning region.

"He had illegally occupied many state government properties in the area to set up his own establishment during the previous Trinamool Congress regime," Adhikari stated.

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