New Delhi: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader on Friday was arrested from his home after the Kolkata police forcibly broke down his door and charged him under various provisions of the Arms Act and theft.
The incident took place in the glare of television cameras, which documented the police breaking the door of Sajal Ghosh’s house.
“I have been arrested despite not committing any crime. I am feeling ashamed today that I was born in this state,” Ghosh told reporters, as reported by the Indian Express.
As per CNN-News 18, the policemen from Muchipara police station arrived at Ghosh’s house and informed him about his imminent arrest under a non-bailable section of the Arms Act. He was also charged with assault and theft.
The TV channel reported that when asked to cooperate, Ghosh locked the door. As he sat at the window and spoke with the media, he said, “Break down the door to make an arrest.”
After additional police force arrived, police kicked down the door and arrested Ghosh.
The Times of India reported that the high-profile arrest signalled a power shift as Sajal Ghosh, and his father Pradip Ghosh, were influential leaders in central Kolkata who “used to call the shots in the area”. They were also organisers of the Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja. Pradeep Ghosh had previously been a member of Trinamool Congress.
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The area had been tense since Thursday, after the wife of a Trinamool Congress member complained that she had been molested by local two BJP members.
“One lady submitted a complaint of being physically harassed by two people, identified as Vishal Singh and Vikash Singh, when she went out to purchase medicine. The accused were repairing their plywood shop at the time. Accordingly, a specific case was registered and the accused were arrested. The accused persons are now in judicial custody till August 16,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Murlidhar Sharma said, as per Indian Express.
According to News 18, Sajal Ghosh and his followers had gone to the police station on Thursday night to release the two men, where they got into a verbal spat with the TMC workers.
On Friday, local BJP men accused TMC workers of ransacking one of their clubs, but the TMC denied it. Thereafter, a police complaint was made against Sajal Ghosh for allegedly threatening a TMC worker’s shop. “A case was started under IPC sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) 341 (threat) 380 (theft) 506 (criminal intimidation) and 25(1)(a) Arms Act. Ghosh was then arrested,” said Sharma, in Times of India.
Sajal Ghosh’s wife, Tania Ghosh, also lodged a complaint against the local police for breaking the door without a warrant and forcibly arresting her husband. She also demanded a probe on how the local police entered the house without a female police officer, TV-18 reported.
State BJP president Dilip Ghosh strongly criticised the ruling party for the arrest of his party colleague. “It is unfortunate, and they should be ashamed of this. These people who are arresting BJP workers by breaking their doors talk big when it comes to Tripura, and are doing ‘Gantantra Andolan [movement for democracy]’ in Delhi. There is no law and order in Bengal, they are after anyone who does BJP in Bengal.”
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh stated that the BJP member should have cooperated with police, but admitted that police breaking down the door could have been avoided.
“The BJP has been creating trouble in the area since last night. By getting into this, Sajal has done wrong, this angered the locals. Sajal should have cooperated with the police by coming out of his house on his own. However, the scene of breaking down the door without giving time is undesirable. This benefits the accused,” he said, according to the Indian Express.