A case under section 302 (murder), 147/148/149 (rioting), 188 (disobedience to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant), 353 (obstructing the duty of a public servant), 307 (attempt to murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs 50), 435 (whoever commits mischief by fire or any explosive substance), 504 (provides punishment for insulting someone intentionally to provoke them), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and different sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order Act, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act, was filed against Islam at Bijoygunge Bazar police station. According to police, ISF leader Mohiuddin Mollawho was shot dead on June 15 last year when he had gone to the block development office to file his nomination for the panchayat elections.
“The TMC leader was brought to the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar for questioning,” a senior officer said. As Islam’s arrest is a “sensitive” matter, he was not kept at the local Kasipur Police Station, he added.
The three-tier panchayat elections were conducted in West Bengal in July last year. During the panchayat elections, incidents of violence occurred from the very first day of the nomination process. A total of 55 persons died in poll-related violence.
The incident had taken place under the then Kashipur police station area, now under Bijaygunge Bazar police station. Recently, Bhangar division in South 24 Parganas district was brought under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police.
Reacting to Islam’s arrest, Leader of Opposition in state Assembly and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari alleged that Islam was arrested as part of a plan before the Election Commission could take any action against him ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
“Arabul Islam’s arrest is just an eyewash, there was an arrest warrant already against him…He will be brought out on bail just before the polls. All these are planned. The arrest was made before the EC took any action,” he said.
The CPI(M) claimed that Islam was arrested earlier and was expelled from the TMC, but the ruling party took him back. “It all depends on Didi’s wish when people like Arabul will be arrested or released,” senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said.
Hitting back, Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “If Arabul Islam is a TMC leader then the police are practising ‘raj dharma’. I don’t know if Arabul has committed any crime or what are the allegations against him. His arrest proves that Opposition parties’ allegations that the police don’t act are baseless.” In 2014, the ruling TMC had suspended Islam for six years over his alleged involvement in two murder cases. However, the party reinstated him in 2016.
ISF’s leader Nawsad Siddique is the MLA from Bhagar. The party was launched by Furfura Sharif cleric Peerzada Abbas Siddiqui in 2021.