TMC sends legal notice to poll body over 'illegal arrest' of party workers

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday sent a legal notice to the Election Commission, urging the poll body to release persons, who had been detained by the police in West Burdwan 'unlawfully'. The notice stated that if the persons were not released, then their family members would move Supreme Court or Calcutta High Court.

Police had detained such persons on and from April 24 'without any reason' and informed them that they would be released only after the elections. The detained persons include Rudrajyoti Mondol (arrested on April 24 by Asansol south PS), Niraj Yadav (arrested on April 25 by Asansol south ps), Habu Das (arrested by Hirapur ps on April 25), Sk Niyamat ( booth observer, arrested on April 26 by Jamiria ps), Sk Tahir ( booth observer, arrested on April 26, Jamuria PS), Mithun Das (arrested on April 26 by Jamuria PS) and Pradeep Ruidas (arrested on 26 April by Jamuria PS).

Copies of the letter, composed by Sanjay Basu, TMC's lawyer, have been sent to the CEO, Commissioner, Asansol Durgapur police, Sudip Jain, deputy Election Commissioner and OCs of the respective police stations.

"The arrest and wrongful detaining of persons right before poll day is malafide, erroneous, arbitrary, and reeks of an attempt to prejudice the election process. My client is of the firm opinion that such detention has been carried out to merely harass my client and its members and put them in fear of the election process and thereby to stifle their voice. Such action to detain the members and supporters of my client is a well planned approach to hijack the democratic set up and prevent the elections from being conducted in a

free and fair manner," the letter states.