The Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested a gram panchayat member of the Trinamul Congress from his house at Baidyanathpur in Malda district on Saturday night for his alleged involvement in the illegal sale of firearms and ammunition.

Abdul Rashid, a member of Pardeonapur-Shobhpur panchayat, was arrested by a team of the GRP from the New Farakka railway station.

Sources said the GRP had acted on a tip-off and arrested Tousif Ali from the New Farakka station on October 27. Two firearms and four magazines were allegedly found in his possession.

Ali purportedly revealed that Rashid had handed him the arms and the ammunition with an instruction to carry the same to Patna. Based on his statement, Rashid was nabbed.

Rashid had contested on a Congress ticket in the panchayat elections last year but joined the TMC after the results were declared.

“TMC leaders should clarify why they didn’t take any step against him even though he was involved in the illegal sale of firearms,” said Bhupendranath Haldar, a Congress leader in Malda district.

Amlan Bhaduri, a general secretary of the BJP’s Malda south (organisational) district, said the arrest of a panchayat member pointed to the involvement of a section of TMC leaders in the illegal firearms business.

TMC leaders, on the other hand, were quick to distance themselves from Rashid. “Our party will not take any responsibility for the illegal activities of an individual. The arrest proves that there is rule of law in Bengal,” said Dulal Sarkar, a TMC vice-president in Malda.