The Diamond Harbour District Police has reopened a six-year-old high-profile political assault case involving senior national BJP leaders, a decision that will put arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Jahangir Khan, also known as Pushpa, in further legal trouble. This move comes years after the BJP repeatedly criticized the initial investigation, calling it a complete sham.
Case Details
According to top officials in the Bengal Police, the case pertains to a violent attack on senior BJP leader JP Nadda during his visit to Diamond Harbour on December 10, 2020. At the time, Nadda was the party's national president. The incident occurred barely a week before Suvendu Adhikari, now the Chief Minister, officially defected from the TMC to join the BJP.
Police stated that the initial investigation conducted under the previous administration was fundamentally flawed. "The primary FIR named the prime accused, Khan, alongside other influential individuals, who were later systematically discharged. The previous probe was highly superficial, necessitating a thorough re-investigation to ensure justice," a senior Bengal Police officer said.
Arrest and Public Shaming
Khan, the defeated TMC assembly candidate from Falta, is already in police custody. The original incident occurred around noon on December 10, 2020, when Nadda's convoy was traveling to a rally in Diamond Harbour, the parliamentary constituency of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. A mob, allegedly consisting of TMC supporters, intercepted the convoy and launched a coordinated assault with bricks, stones, and heavy sticks.
Meanwhile, ground realities have shifted for the accused. In a striking public display, Diamond Harbour Police marched a visibly subdued Khan through the streets of Falta under heavy security for a second consecutive day to reconstruct the crime and identify hidden assets. A video that has since gone viral on social media shows Khan, stripped of his former bravado, folding his hands and seeking forgiveness from onlookers. A similar public shaming was also enacted in the neighboring Magrahat West constituency against another local leader, who is also a co-accused in the Nadda case.
Background
Khan had been on the run since May 21 following the conclusion of voting, before being apprehended by the Special Task Force (STF) on the India-Nepal border in Panitanki. Facing at least eight active FIRs ranging from extortion to post-poll violence, his custody was recently extended by an additional six days.
