Three held in Kolkata arms raid; BJP leader link under scanner

Kolkata: On the eve of New Year’s Eve, Kolkata Police arrested three persons, including a miscreant allegedly close to BJP leader Rakesh Singh, and recovered arms and ammunition in two separate raids on Tuesday in the Alipore and Strand Road areas.

According to sources, acting on a tip-off, officers of Alipore police station carried out a search operation at a house in the Orphanganj area near Alipore Zoo.

During the raid, police recovered 11 illegal firearms buried underground in the courtyard. A man identified as Rajesh Kumar Shaw was arrested from the premises.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Division) Priyabrata Roy said at a press conference, “We received specific information that several weapons were concealed underground in the Orphanganj area. Acting on this input, a police team, along with the bomb squad, conducted a search and recovered 11 firearms buried in the courtyard of the house.”

Police said the accused was found to be connected with a BJP leader. Investigators are examining whether Singh has any link to the alleged illegal arms racket. It is suspected that the weapons were sourced from Munger.

In a separate operation, the STF of Kolkata Police arrested two persons from the Strand Road area on Tuesday. Acting on a tip-off, the STF intercepted two brothers—Rabindra Prasad and Jitendra Prasad, residents of the Pilkhana area in Salkia, Howrah—while they were moving through Strand Road.

During a search of the bags they were carrying, police recovered three firearms and 21 rounds of ammunition.

The duo was detained and taken to the STF police station at Lalbazar, where a case was registered before they were formally arrested.