Kolkata Police arrest absconding BJP leader in Congress office vandalism case

Kolkata, Sep 3 (IANS) Kolkata Police have arrested absconding BJP leader Rakesh Singh on charges of vandalism at the headquarters of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee in Kolkata last week.

The police arrested him early on Wednesday morning from a flat in the Tangra area near EM Bypass.

The BJP leader will be produced before a Sealdah court later in the day, where the police will seek his custody.

When he was arrested and taken into a police van at around 2 a.m., Rakesh Singh shouted slogans like 'Narendra Modi Zindabad' and said, "Rakesh Singh is not afraid of anyone".

Following the arrest, the police said, "After receiving a tip-off from a confidential source, Rakesh Singh was arrested from a flat in the Tangra area. He will be produced in a court today."

The BJP leader had been absconding since he led the vandalism at the state Congress headquarters in Kolkata on August 29.

He, however, was seen active on social media handles and shared videos of his speaking against the police.

On Monday, the Entally Police arrested Rakesh Singh's son Shivam Singh for allegedly aiding his father’s escape, who is the main accused in the vandalism.

Following the arrest of his son, Rakesh Singh took to social media and slammed the police for harassing his family members after failing to arrest him.

Before arresting his son, the police had arrested three persons close to Rakesh Singh in connection with the vandalism. They were identified as Vijayprasad Dhanuk, Santoshkumar Rajbhar and Dibyendu Samanta.

A police team also went to Rakesh's house last Saturday afternoon for the sake of investigation. But the BJP leader was not found there. Police said the arrests have been made based on an FIR lodged by the Congress against the attack and defacing of posters of its leaders, Rahul Gandhi and others.

On Friday, a group of BJP workers led by Singh went on a rampage at state Congress headquarters at CIT Road in central Kolkata, burning party flags and defacing posters of party leaders Rahul Gandhi and others to mark their protest against alleged abuses hurled at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Rahul Gandhi's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar.

--IANS

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