TMC MLA Held In Puri Hotel For Threatening BJP Workers
The TMC MLA was getting ready then to check out and move to another hotel at Beliapada, according to sources: Reports
KOLKATA: West Bengal Police arrested absconding Trinamul Congress MLA Dilip Mondal, who won at Bishnupur seat in South 24 Parganas in the recently concluded Assembly Election, from Odisha on Wednesday for allegedly threatening BJP workers in his home turf with dire consequences.
Acting on a tip-off, the special task force (STF) team, accompanied by the Odisha Police personnel, raided a beachside hotel, Blue Lily, at Puri, where Mr Mondal had taken shelter after frequently changing his hideouts in the last two weeks, and caught him at the lobby in the morning.
The TMC MLA was getting ready then to check out and move to another hotel at Beliapada, according to sources. He reached Puri a week ago while on the run and checked into Blue Lily with the credentials of one of his aides in Kolkata.
Mr Mondal, who is the first opposition legislator to be held in a case after the change in power here, however claimed before the media during his court production that he was targeted for speaking against senior BJP leaders. The STF is now bringing him back to Bengal on a transit remand.
The cops earlier raided his two addresses including a palatial residence, modelled as a resort with a swimming pool, at Pailan in South 24 Parganas on May 14 following the registration of a case on non-bailable charges but could not trace him as he had already fled and went into hiding.
The case was initiated after a video went viral about his threat. In the video, Mr Mondal was seen saying during a victory rally on May 11, “I have shown enough restraint for 15 years and maintained peace. But this will not continue anymore.” His son Arghya was arrested by the police on May 18 with firearms from Bakhhali in South 24 Parganas.