Kolkata: The son of Janata Unnayan Party (JUP) chief and Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir was detained by police on Sunday for allegedly assaulting a police constable posted at the legislator’s residence in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, officials said.
The accused, Golam Nabi Azad, also known as Sohel, was taken into custody following a complaint filed at Shaktipur police station by constable Jumma Khan, who was serving as a personal security officer at Kabir’s residence. According to police, the constable alleged that he was assaulted when he requested a few days’ leave.
A senior police officer said Azad was detained for questioning based on the complaint and that the matter is under investigation. “Necessary legal action will be taken as per the findings of the probe,” the officer said.
The Trinamool Congress maintained that the incident was purely a law-and-order matter and denied any political involvement. Party spokesperson Arup Chakraborty said Azad committed a cognisable offence by raising his hand on a policeman. “Police have acted as per the law. The party has nothing to do with this,” he said.
Humayun Kabir, however, alleged that the police action was politically motivated. He claimed that police cordoned off his residence in the Shaktipur area after the incident and said his son was detained illegally on false charges. Kabir stated that he was not present at home when the incident occurred.
“My son objected to a policeman entering my house, which led to false allegations being levelled against him,” Kabir told reporters in Berhampore. He accused the Trinamool Congress of using the police to harass him and said an elected representative’s residence cannot be cordoned off on “flimsy pretexts.”
Kabir announced that he would stage a protest outside the Murshidabad Superintendent of Police’s office on January 1, demanding an explanation from senior police and administrative officials. He also demanded the immediate release of his son.
The incident comes amid heightened political tensions in Murshidabad. Kabir, who was suspended from the Trinamool Congress earlier this month, recently floated the Janata Unnayan Party and announced plans to contest the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. He has also expressed interest in an electoral alliance with AIMIM and has been openly critical of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s governance.
Police said the investigation into the alleged assault is ongoing.
