BJP leader Rakesh Singh, the prime accused in the violent attack on the West Bengal Pradesh Congress headquarters, has finally been arrested after evading police for several days.
Singh was picked up from Tangra on Tuesday night. He will be produced in court on Wednesday.
Singh and his supporters allegedly stormed the West Bengal Congress office in Entally, a neighbourhood in central Kolkata, in protest against remarks made on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother during Rahul Gandhi's rally in Bihar. The group vandalised property and created chaos, following which Singh had been absconding.
Rakesh Singh Switched Off Mobile Network
On Sunday, however, Singh was spotted outside Eden Gardens where he spoke to the media and even went live on Facebook. This raised questions about why the police had been unable to track him down. Kolkata Police later said they had searched his Alipore residence as well as locations in Maheshtala, South 24 Parganas, but Singh had switched off his mobile network and was communicating through WhatsApp calls using hotspot devices.
During the period Singh was on the run, police arrested his son Shivam Singh and one of his close associates from their Alipore home. Police said the vehicle in which Singh fled after the Congress office attack was registered in Shivam’s name, leading to his arrest.
With Singh’s arrest, the total number of people held in the case has risen to five. He has been booked under charges of attempt to murder and the Arms Act.