A man who was allegedly carrying a gun and a dagger and was heading towards chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s home on Harish Chatterjee Street in his car, which had a “Police” board on the dashboard, was arrested on Friday morning.
The chief minister had not yet left home for the July 21 rally at Esplanade when the car was intercepted.
Police identified the arrested man as Sheikh Noor Amin, 35, a resident of Anandapur in Kolkata.
Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal said the man was in possession of arms, bhojali (dagger), ganja and several fake identity cards and was apparently going to meet the chief minister.
An officer said a preliminary inquiry revealed that Amin ran a business of interior designing and has his office-cum-residence at Martin Para in Anandapur, off EM Bypass. On Friday, the officer said, he came from his in-laws’ home at Debra in West Midnapore.
“Considering the threat to her (the chief minister’s) security as she is Z-plus protected, it is a very serious issue. Why he was going to meet the chief minister while in possession of arms, bhojali, ganja and forged identity cards is subject to investigation. Already, the Special Task Force, police station and Special Branch are examining him to find out his intention,” Goyal said.
Goyal said several inconsistencies had emerged from Amin’s statements.
Police sources said two identity cards — one had “Border Security Force” written on it and the other “All India Police (IB) Offline PO Office” — were found on him.
“A gun, some contraband substance, two fake identity cards, two driving licences, a leather belt with ‘IPS’ engraved on its buckle, a peak cap with an IPS logo and a beret with the West Bengal police logo were among the other things that were seized from him,” said an officer at the city police headquarters in Lalbazar.
Amin is said to have told the police that he was going to meet the chief minister, but did not specify the reason.
The police said Amin’s car was stopped at the first cordon at the Hazra Road-Harish Chatterjee Street crossing. He was questioned and when he allegedly failed to explain why he wanted to meet the chief minister, he was detained at Kalighat police station for questioning.
Later in the day, he was arrested. Joint commissioner, crime, Kolkata police, Sankha Shubhra Chakrabarty, said Amin, “a resident of Aliganj, Kasaipara, Kotwali in West Midnapore, has been booked under (IPC) sections of impersonating a government official, forgery, criminal conspiracy and sections of arms act.”
Amin’s wife told journalists in Midnapore that her husband was attached to a “Human Rights Association” and had gone to Kolkata to attend the Martyrs’ Day rally at Esplanade. “He said he would return home by night. I have no idea why he was going to meet the chief minister,” she said.
Amin’s wife denied that her husband had any ill intentions. “I am not aware of his arrest. Please do not disturb me. I am already very disturbed,” she said.
Last year, a man breached the security cordon of the chief minister’s residence at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street and was found sleeping inside the compound of her house, adjoining the building where she lives.
Two arrested for murder of lifer on parole
Two persons were arrested on Friday in connection with the murder of lifer Debajyoti Ghosh, who was shot dead inside a car at Narayanpur, in the Bidhannagar police area, on Thursday evening.
Ghosh was out on parole. Police identified the two as Sujoy Das and Bikram Mahato. Das is from Narayanpur and Mahato from Kanchrapara in North 24-Parganas. “Das was an associate of Ghosh. They fell out because of a money-related dispute,” said an officer of Bidhannagar police.
The cops are looking for a few others who are suspected to be part of the planning and execution of the crime.