West Bengal police on Wednesday arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Dilip Mondal from a beachside hotel in Puri, Odisha, for his alleged involvement in cases related to intimidation and threats against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers during the recently concluded assembly elections.
Arrest Details
Mondal was apprehended from the hotel lobby by a joint team of West Bengal and Puri police just as he was preparing to check out and move to another hotel in the Baliapanda area. Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh confirmed to the Times of India that all necessary assistance was provided to West Bengal police in tracing the suspect, who had checked in with an associate on Tuesday.
Nearly 30 officers, including 20 from Puri police, surrounded the hotel in anticipation of a possible escape. A Puri police officer stated that Mondal had checked in under his associate's name. The moment he came down to complete check-out formalities, he was taken into custody without any resistance. He had already booked another hotel near the beach for Wednesday.
Mondal's Defense
Escorted on transit remand to West Bengal, Mondal claimed he was being framed. He told reporters in Puri that the BJP was playing vendetta politics. Since he had been vocal against their top leaders, they took revenge by arresting him.
Background
Sources revealed that Mondal had reached Puri by train about a week earlier and had been switching hotels to avoid detection. His hideout in Puri was reportedly confirmed after West Bengal police received a tip-off from one of his close associates in Kolkata. This arrest follows that of his son Arghya on May 18 in Bakkhali-Fraserganj for allegedly possessing illegal firearms.
The arrest highlights the ongoing political tensions between the TMC and BJP in West Bengal, with both parties accusing each other of using state machinery for political vendetta.
