Kolkata, Dec 28 : Janata Unnayan Party (JUP) chief Humayun Kabir’s son Golam Nabi Azad was on Sunday detained for allegedly attacking a policeman posted at their residence in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, an officer said.
Trinamool Congress said Azad, better known as Sohel, committed a cognisable offence by raising a hand on the policeman, who was posted as a personal security officer (PSO) of Bharatpur MLA Kabir, and police took action as per the law, while claiming that the ruling party has nothing to do with it.
A senior police officer said Sohel was detained on the basis of a complaint lodged with Shaktipur police station by Constable Jumma Khan, alleging that the legislator’s son assaulted him this morning when he applied for a few days’ leave.
“On the basis of the complaint, the accused has been detained for questioning. The matter is being investigated and necessary legal action will be taken,” the police officer told PTI.
Kabir, who floated his party after being suspended from the TMC and laid the foundation stone for a Babri Masjid-style mosque in Muslim-majority Murshidabad, claimed that police have cordoned off his residence in Shaktipur area following the incident.
Kabir, who has announced that his party would contest the upcoming assembly elections in the state, was away from his residence for some work when the incident happened.
“My son objected to the entry of a policeman inside my house today and this angered the law enforcers who levelled false allegations against my son, accusing him of misbehaviour,” he told reporters in Berhampore.
Kabir alleged that he was being targeted by the police at the behest of the Trinamool Congress.
A police force cannot cordon the house of an elected representative under “flimsy pretext”, the MLA said.
“I will gherao the SP’s office in Murshidabad on January 1 in protest against this harassment, which is politically motivated. I demand an explanation from senior police and administration officials about today’s incident. They cannot intimidate me,” Kabir said.
Kabir said his son was detained “in an illegal manner under false charges”, and demanded his immediate release.
TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty said that as per information available with the party, Kabir’s son pushed the police constable when he went inside the house seeking leave for some personal work.
“He has committed a cognisable offence by raising a hand on a policeman. And police have taken action as per the law. The party has nothing to do with it,” Chakraborty said.
Kabir laid the foundation stone for a mosque modelled on Babri Masjid on December 6, a day after being suspended from the TMC.
Later, he floated the JUP, and announced the new party would contest 182 of the 294 assembly seats in the polls due early next year. He further expressed his desire to form an electoral alliance with Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM.
He also accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of doing nothing for the uplift of Muslims and only pursuing “appeasement politics” since coming to power in 2011. (PTI)
