Trinamool Congress leader Jahangir Khan, who had withdrawn from the Falta Assembly re-poll, was paraded by police in half pants and a T-shirt on the roads of the constituency in South 24 Parganas district. The police took him around Falta without tying a rope around his waist, visiting his home and the Trinamool office. A search operation was conducted in his presence due to extortion allegations.
Jahangir was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) at the Nepal border on June 8 while attempting to escape. Known as ‘Pushpa’, he was apprehended as he tried to cross into Nepal. Following his arrest, he was brought to Kolkata by STF officials. The re-election in the Falta Assembly constituency took place on May 21, with Jahangir withdrawing from the contest just 48 hours before the polls.
Despite his withdrawal, Jahangir’s name appeared on the EVM next to the Trinamool symbol during the election, where he secured 7,783 votes and finished fourth. Prior to the assembly election in Falta, his house was raided by central forces and police due to multiple cases against him, including extortion charges. This led to his recent arrest and subsequent police actions in the area.
Several Trinamool leaders have faced similar treatment, being paraded with ropes around their waists, prompting the Calcutta High Court to request a report from the state government on such practices. The court emphasized that while arrests can be made, defaming the accused is unacceptable. The state government has been given three weeks to explain the rationale behind this procedure.
