Kolkata:
Union minister Mukul Roy's son Shubrangshu Roy, a Trinamool Congress candidate, was today arrested for assaulting Election Commission (EC) officials on duty. Shubrangshu was on the run after an FIR was filed against him on Tuesday by the EC.
"A police team, led by a Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), arrested Roy," North 24 Parganas Superintendent of Police Rahul Srivastav said. Mukul Roy, a Trinamool leader, is Minister of State for Shipping.
Shubrangshu Roy, a candidate from Bijpur for the upcoming assembly polls, was arrested when he was leaving the venue of an election meeting at Naihati in the North 24-Parganas district, which was addressed by Mamata Banerjee, sources said.
The EC on Tuesday had filed an FIR at the Bijpur police station against Roy and 10 others on the charge of assaulting members of a team appointed by the election authority when it went there to erase wall writings on public and private buildings.
The EC later suspended the inspector in-charge, Partha Pratim Roy, for failing to arrest the offender.
Earlier today, Left Front chairman Biman Bose demanded the arrest of Shubrangshu Roy, saying, "EC officials have been assaulted and the candidate is absconding. This proves that the Trinamool Congress does not believe in democracy, peace and is spreading violence."
Police had said they were still conducting raids at every possible place in the district and also alerted other neighbouring district police authorities to trace out Shubrangshu.
Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Kumar Gupta on Thursday said his office is in constant touch with that of the district administration and the police in order to track the whereabouts of Shubrangshu Roy.
"Shubrangshu Roy is absconding and the police are conducting raids to arrest him as soon as possible," Gupta had said.