Fearing arrest before panchayat polls, Bengal

SNS, KOLKATA. 28 JUNE 2023 : BJP Lok Sabha M P from Bishnupur in West Bengal, Saumitra Khan, approached the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday with a plea seeking anticipatory bail. In his plea, Khan has expressed apprehension that he might he arrested before the July 8 panchayat polls, and hence he should be granted anticipatory bail.

The single-judge bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha has admitted the plea and listed the matter for hearing on has also claimed that a number of false cases have been registered against him since the time he became vocal about the alleged involvement of the inspector-in-charge (IC) of Sonamukhi police station in Bankura district in extortion. 

Because of these case, Khan is apprehending arrest before the panchayat polls so that he can be made inactive in the run-up to the rural civic body elections. 

He had levelled the allegation of extortion against the IC concerned at a recent public meeting in time Lok Sabha member from Bishnupur. 

In 2014, he got elected on a Trinamool Congress ticket. However, before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he joined the BIP and got re-elected from the same constituency on a saffron party ticket.

Before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a case was registered against him and following a court order, he was barred from setting foot in his constituency during the entire campaign phase. 

His now estranged wife Sujata had campaigned on his behalf then.