Trinamool Congress leader arrested for threatening to blow up police station

Raniganj (WB): A block president of ruling Trinamool Congress's students wing has been arrested and suspended from the outfit after he allegedly threatened to set ablaze a police vehicle and hurl bombs at a police station.

The incident took place at TTP College in Raniganj in Burdwan district on Tuesday when a police van was sighted outside the college just when the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) was going ahead with their programme of submitting a deputation to the college principal over alleged anomalies in the online admission process.

Seeing the police vehicle, TMCP block president Soumitra Bandopadhyay allegedly threatened the police over phone, a police official said.

Describing the police as "government servants", he was purportedly heard saying, "I give you five minutes. If the OC does not arrive in five minutes, I will set the vehicle ablaze. If he does not even arrive then, I will blow up the police station".

The students wing of Trinamool Congress suspended Bandopadhyay in the evening, Asansol TMC leader V Shivdasan said.

Bandopadhyay was arrested later in the evening after the police lodged a case against him at Raniganj police station for obstructing public servants from discharging his duty.