Eight people have been arrested for allegedly attempting to storm the Falta police station in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district and free jailed TMC leader Jahangir Khan, with police naming his wife as the alleged mastermind behind the plan, a senior officer said on Wednesday.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, security forces were deployed in advance to thwart any attempt to attack the police station during a demonstration over Khan’s arrest on Tuesday, he said.
“We had information that a section of the crowd was planning to attack the police station during the demonstration and snatch away the accused. Adequate security arrangements were made beforehand, and timely action by police and central forces prevented any such attempt,” he added.
Supporters of Khan, currently in judicial custody, gathered in large numbers in Falta’s Shatol Kolsa area and staged protests before marching towards the police station.
Investigators alleged that the demonstrators intended to forcibly secure Khan’s release and create unrest in the area. Tension escalated as the crowd moved from outside Khan’s residence towards the police station.
Police claimed that Khan’s wife had been mobilising supporters since Monday. An FIR has been registered against her in connection with the incident.
According to investigators, several complaints against Khan’s wife have surfaced during the probe.
The officer indicated that further legal action, including her possible arrest, could follow depending on the outcome of the investigation.
Videos purportedly showing protesters fleeing and jumping into nearby water bodies after being chased by police went viral on social media.
Khan, who called himself ‘Pushpa’— inspired by the Allu Arjun-starrer Telugu blockbuster, was arrested near the India-Nepal border in north Bengal on June 8 after he was booked under various charges, including extortion.
Since his arrest, police have conducted a series of operations in Falta aimed at dismantling his alleged criminal network and restoring law and order in the region.
Police said the investigation is continuing and further arrests could be made.
