West Bengal

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Murshidabad, October 6: Tension escalated in Rejinagar on Tuesday morning after Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir was detained and later arrested by police during the ongoing Assembly by-election. The development came after Kabir launched a series of sharp attacks against the police from the morning and openly challenged them to arrest him. He had also warned that if attempts were made to obstruct voting, he would come out on the streets with a club. Shortly after making the remarks, police moved in and took him into custody from the Rejinagar party office.

Police personnel reached the party office soon after Kabir arrived there after casting his vote. A heated confrontation reportedly broke out between Kabir and the police, following which officers physically took hold of him and dragged him towards a waiting vehicle. He was then taken to Rejinagar police station. The gates of the police station were reportedly closed following his arrival, while security was tightened in and around the area.

The incident unfolded against the backdrop of heightened tension in Rejinagar since polling began on Tuesday morning. Police personnel had been deployed in large numbers outside Kabir's residence from the early hours. Kabir had alleged that the police were keeping a close watch on him and claimed that he was being subjected to excessive surveillance on polling day.

After casting his vote at his polling station in the morning, Kabir came out and spoke to the media. During his interaction with reporters, he strongly criticised the police and questioned their conduct during the election. He also issued a warning against what he described as police attempts to intimidate people.

Kabir said that given the manner in which the police were behaving that morning, he would ask people to stand up against them with clubs. He further questioned whether he would simply remain silent if the police attempted to assault him, while also saying that the police had a responsibility to uphold the law.

After speaking to the media, Kabir went to the Rejinagar party office. Police personnel subsequently reached the office, leading to a confrontation between the two sides. The situation quickly became tense, with a scuffle reportedly breaking out between Kabir and the police. Police officers then took hold of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief and dragged him into a vehicle before taking him to Rejinagar police station.

The police later clarified the reason for taking action against Kabir. The district Superintendent of Police said that Kabir was neither a candidate in the by-election nor an authorised election agent. Therefore, according to the police, he could not move around freely in the constituency in the manner he was doing during polling.

The district police chief said that this was one of the reasons for taking Kabir into custody. Police subsequently stated that Kabir had violated the law and that the action against him had therefore been upgraded from detention to arrest.

Police sources also said that Kabir had allegedly threatened the police, and that the remarks made by him during the morning had contributed to the decision to take action against him. Authorities maintained that the measures were necessary to prevent any disturbance during the sensitive polling process.

The arrest has further intensified the political temperature in Rejinagar, where voting is taking place amid tight security. The constituency has already emerged as one of the key centres of attention during the by-election, and the action against Kabir has added a fresh political flashpoint to polling day.

As voting continues, security forces are maintaining a strict vigil across the constituency. Police officials are closely monitoring sensitive areas and polling locations to prevent any further escalation. The arrest of Humayun Kabir is likely to trigger fresh political reactions, with the incident already becoming one of the major talking points of the Rejinagar by-election.