Two arrested in connectionwith Basanti Highway crash
Times of India | 14 December 2025
Kolkata: Two people were arrested on Saturday in connection with the Basanti Highway crash involving Bholanath Ghosh, a key witness in the CBI and ED's land-grab case against Sheikh Shahjahan. The arrested were Uttam Sardar, aka Sushanta, and Ruhul Quddus Sheikh. Sardar was earlier arrested in connection with the attack on ED officials at Shahjahan's residence in Sandeshkhali on Jan 5, 2024.
While Sardar was picked up from a hideout in the Polerhat area of South 24-Parganas, Ruhul was arrested from the Rajbari area under the Nazat Police Station. They have been remanded in police custody for nine days.
On Dec 10, a truck crashed into the car in which Ghosh was travelling on Basanti Highway. Although Ghosh survived the crash, his son Satyajit (32) and the driver Sahanur Molla (27) died. On Thursday, Ghosh had lodged an FIR at the Rajbari police outpost against eight people, including the truck driver Abdul Alim Molla, truck owners Najrul Molla and Abdul Samad Molla, Shahjahan and his associates. Ghosh alleged that it was a pre-planned attack.
However, the names of Sardar and Ruhul did not figure in the FIR. A police source said Ruhul, who lives at Sarberia in Sandeshkhali, near Ghosh's house, was captured on CCTV footage following Ghosh's car from Sarberia. "Uttam was earlier arrested in connection with the attack on ED officials at Shahjahan's residence. ," said an investigating officer. Arun Kumar Pal, public prosecutor at Basirhat court, said, "Even if their names do not appear in the FIR, there is sufficient evidence indicating their involvement in the conspiracy."