The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police have arrested a Trinamool Congress councillor on charges of abducting a Tripura-based businessman.
The councillor, arrested late Thursday night, was identified as Milan Sardar and is the councillor from ward number 33 of Barasat Municipality in North 24 Parganas district. He will be presented at a district court on Friday.
After his arrest by police, Trinamool Congress leadership announced Sardar’s expulsion from the party. The CID sleuths earlier had arrested six of his associates for the crime.
The abducted Tripura-based businessman had come to his relative’s place at Sodepur in North 24 Parganas district in the first week of September when he was abducted at gunpoint from a garage in the locality.
He was first kept at a farmhouse in Barasat and from there was shifted to a residential flat in a housing complex in the locality. The CID sleuths after taking over the investigation raided the residence and rescued the abducted businessman.
Soon, the six persons involved in the abduction were also arrested. In the face of interrogation, they admitted that Sardar was not only the main brain behind the abduction but also arranged for the two accommodations where the abducted businessman was kept.
However, Sardar went absconding then. Sources said that finally on Thursday night, the CID sleuths received information about him coming to the residence at Barasat.
A sudden raid was conducted by the investigating officials and finally, Sardar was arrested.
Reacting to the development, four-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member from the Barasat constituency and also the party’s organisational district president Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said the party has decided to expel Sardar from the party. “We will not tolerate such activities at any cost,” she said.
Sardar was a worker at a local gold ornament shop in Barasat before joining politics. He became the councillor of Barasat Municipality in 2015. In the past also, there had been several complaints of financial irregularities against him.
Indian army responding to Pak ceasefire violations: FS Vikram Misri
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Saturday said that Indian armed forces have been responding adequately to the ceasefire violations by the Pakistani army despite the announcement of truce between the two countries a few hours earlier.
Hours after announcement of truce, Pakistan violates ceasefire
Despite the announcement of ceasefire by India and Pakistan, there was a violation by the Pakistan army on Saturday evening in Akhnoor, Mendhar, R.S. Pura, Chamb, Bhimber and Gurez sectors while loud blasts were also heard in Srinagar.
No mosque touched during 'Operation Sindoor': Colonel Sofiya Qureshi
The Indian armed forces respect the Constitution’s secular values and keeping these in mind, they did not target any mosque during ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Pakistan.
India and Pakistan to stop all firing and military action: MEA
A few minutes after US President Donald Trump announced a "full and immediate ceasefire" between India and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea with effect from 5 PM Indian Standard Time, on Saturday.
India to treat terror strike in future as 'Act of War'
India has decided that any future act of terror will be considered an ‘Act of War’ against the country and will be responded to accordingly, a decision which aligns with the Narendra Modi government’s zero tolerance for terror, official sources said on Saturday.
6 Pakistani air bases pounded by India in hit-back
Besides blunting Pakistan’s drone attacks overnight, India has carried out precision attacks on six Pakistan Air Force bases in Rafiqui, Sukkur, Murid, Chunia, Chaklala, and Rahim Yar Khan, said an official on Saturday.
India hit 8 military bases in Pakistan, including Sialkot station: Centre
India responded strongly to Pakistan’s repeated drone and missile attacks and hit at least eight military targets inside Pakistan on Friday night with precision, thereby causing significant damage, the Centre told the Press, as part of a special briefing on 'Operation Sindoor'.
Pak troops moving into forward areas, Indian forces in high state of operational readiness: Govt
India on Saturday said that Pakistan was escalating tensions along the Western border by moving troops into forward areas, suggesting an offensive intent to intensify hostilities.