The West Bengal Police have arrested Rejina Bibi, alias Sarina, wife of Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Jahangir Khan, for allegedly planning to storm Falta police station. Her arrest comes days after Khan was arrested by a Special Task Force along the India-Nepal border on June 8.
According to police sources, Bibi was picked up from Bishnupur in South 24 Parganas district late Friday night. “She will be produced in court shortly,” a senior police officer said.
Bibi was plotting an attack on Falta police station to free Khan and has been booked under sections of the Arms Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police sources said.
On June 16, a group of men and women in Falta, Jahangir’s stronghold, staged a protest march against his arrest. The mob tried to barge into the police station, prompting police and central forces to baton-charge the crowd. So far, 25 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Later, addressing a government outreach programme in Falta, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said all those seen in the purported videos of the attack would not be spared. “I saw on television that some people, under the leadership of the mafia’s wife, tried to attack police personnel and paramilitary forces. The rule of law has been established in Falta. I will not allow hooliganism, militancy, or land grabbing here. No matter how big a mafia is, the BJP government will teach them a lesson,” he said. Adhikari later held a meeting with the Bengal police top brass over the incident and asked that strict action be taken.
Senior police sources alleged that Bibi had masterminded a plot to storm the police station. “Our investigation reveals that a strategy meeting was chaired by Jahangir’s wife a day before the incident. The plan was to mobilise hundreds of supporters at a designated spot 3 km away from Falta police station, and then launch an organised assault to secure Jahangir Khan’s release,” a senior police officer said.
The police are also evaluating video footage of the incident to make further arrests in the case.
Khan, who was to contest from the Falta Assembly seat, is known to be close to party MP Abhishek Banerjee. He has been named in several cases, including extortion.
After his arrest, the police paraded Khan on the streets of Falta.
Khan came to the limelight after he likened himself to the Allu Arjun character ‘Pushpa’ after a showdown with Uttar Pradesh DIG and Diamond Harbour poll observer Ajay Pal Sharma. “If he is Singham, I am Pushpa. I will not bow down,” Jahangir Khan said.
Khan later withdrew as the Falta candidate.