A dramatic incident unfolded in Kanchrapara on Thursday after police paraded a youth leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) through a locality with a rope tied around his waist, drawing large crowds and triggering a sharp political debate.
The arrested person has been identified as Abhijit Roy, also known as Boni, the TMC youth wing president of Ward No. 3 under Kanchrapara Municipality. As he was taken through the area by personnel of the West Bengal Police, residents gathered on the streets and raised slogans of “Thief! Thief!”, while several videos and photographs of the incident quickly went viral on social media.
According to police and local sources, Roy had long been accused of involvement in alleged anti-social activities, including extortion and exerting influence over local civic and administrative matters. Residents alleged that he had played an unofficial but powerful role in determining beneficiaries of government projects, allocation of contracts, and distribution of housing units in certain municipal areas.
Locals further claimed that he exercised influence over various civic processes in Ward No. 3 despite holding no formal administrative position. Allegations also include the unauthorised stockpiling and resale of materials such as plastic buckets meant for municipal sanitation workers.
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Police sources said that after a complaint was lodged at Bijpur Police Station, Roy went into hiding and was later arrested in Mandarmani in East Midnapore.
He was produced before the Barrackpore Sub-Divisional Court, which remanded him to five days of police custody.
On Thursday morning, police reportedly took Roy through parts of his locality with a rope tied around his waist and dressed in casual clothing. While being escorted, he maintained his innocence, alleging that he was not involved in the wrongdoing and claiming that “party leaders committed the theft.”
The incident drew large public attention, with bystanders filming the scene and crowding the streets. The situation has also sparked political controversy, with questions being raised over the police practice of parading arrested individuals in public before their guilt is established in court.
In a similar recent episode in Howrah, several arrested political workers were also paraded by police, an action that had already drawn criticism and debate over policing methods and the public display of accused persons.
While some observers view such actions as a strong message against alleged wrongdoing, others have questioned whether they comply with principles of due process and dignity under law.
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