Trinamool leader arrested in 2021 post-poll violence case in Bengal's Birbhum

Kolkata: The police have arrested Trinamool Congress leader Abdul Karim Khan for his involvement in a 2021 post-poll violence case in West Bengal's Birbhum district, said a senior police officer on Sunday.

Karim, who is a close associate of once Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mandal, was arrested on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. Police said that there are 32 cases against him, including the post-poll violence case.

According to the police, Karim had been hiding from investigators for a long time. After receiving a tip-off from a secret source, the police surrounded the Bolpur office of the Trinamool Congress in Birbhum district on Saturday night. Karim was arrested as soon as he left the office. After that, he was taken straight to the police station. There, the police of Nanoor police station interrogated him for a long time. It is reported that he was arrested after that.

Karim is the former Zilla Parishad executive director of Birbhum. The arrested accused's house is in Santara village under the Nanur police station. He is scheduled to be produced in court later in the day. According to the officials, police will seek his custody for 14 days to probe the case.

Karim was under the watch of central investigative agencies, such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in the cow and sand smuggling cases. There are also allegations of land grabbing against him. His name also cropped up in allegations of spreading political violence in Birbhum district during the previous Trinamool Congress government era.

"He was arrested late last night. He has multiple cases against him. He has been arrested in a post-poll violence case, which was lodged after the 2021 Assembly elections," said a senior officer of Birbhum district.

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