The West Bengal Police’s Special Task Force has arrested Jahangir Khan, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader who withdrew from the repoll for the Falta assembly seat and was absconding, from near the India-Nepal border. “Khan has been arrested from North Bengal...from a hideout near the India-Nepal border,” said a police officer.
Khan, known to be close to TMC lawmaker Abhishek Banerjee, was in the news ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections when Uttar Pradesh cadre Indian Police Service officer Ajay Pal Sharma, who was appointed as a poll observer, exchanged threats with him.
Khan had said that he was not affected by such threats. Just 48 hours before the repoll in Falta, he withdrew from the polls.
The Calcutta high court withdrew the protection it gave to the Khan, who went absconding to evade arrest as he faced multiple cases of extortion, threat, and assault.