Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Jahangir Khan, who was arrested by the West Bengal police nine days ago, has been paraded three times in his stronghold constituency, Falta. In retaliation, Khan’s supporters – led by his wife – have been carrying out protests and have also tried to storm a police station to free the TMC leader.
Jahangir Khan is not the only leader who has been paraded after his arrest. With the turning of the political tide in West Bengal, several TMC leaders, along with their associates, have been paraded in their strongholds in public by either police or paramilitary forces.
Some of these TMC leaders were just seen wearing underclothes, handcuffs and a rope which was tied around their waist like a leash, according to The Indian Express.
In some of the viral videos, the leaders were seen holding their ears in a squatting position and publicly apologising as they were paraded.
After one such public parading, a vacation bench of the Calcutta High Court took exception to the incident and sought a report from the state government on the circumstances and legal provisions under which it occurred.
While acknowledging that individuals could be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law, the court observed that they could not be deliberately defamed or subjected to public humiliation.
Defending their actions, the police said that it was purely “investigative" and meant for “reconstruction of crime scenes".
According to a senior IPS officer, the police were treading a thin line, The Indian Express reported.
“Except in some cases where charges are very serious like terrorism, or there is a threat that an accused may abscond, even handcuffing is not done. As for tying a rope around the waist and parading an accused, it has no basis in law," the officer said.
Meanwhile, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said the party was planning to initiate legal action against the police over the alleged public parading of its leaders.
“It is a total violation of Article 21 and a breach of human rights," he said, while speaking to The Indian Express.
Meanwhile, BJP Howrah Uttar MLA Umesh Rai, while speaking about TMC Akash Singh’s arrest at a public meeting, said, “There was a time when he would roam the streets with a convoy of a hundred bikes, intimidating people. Today, that same man is being paraded with a rope around his waist. This is what true Ram Rajya looks like."
On May 13, four days after the BJP government assumed office, Akash Singh was arrested by the Golabari police in Howrah and paraded through the area with his head shaved, dressed only in a vest and underwear.
Known locally as the “Don of North Howrah", Akash faces nearly 20 criminal cases, including allegations of opening fire on police and injuring a sub-inspector, carrying out bomb attacks during the 2021 Assembly elections, extortion, and attempted murder.
A local TMC youth leader from Kanchrapara in North 24 Parganas, Roy was arrested on May 28 and paraded through the area with a rope tied around his waist as large crowds gathered and raised slogans.
According to police, Roy is accused in an extortion case registered at Bijpur Police Station and also faces allegations of illegally stockpiling and reselling materials, including plastic buckets meant for municipal sanitation workers. Locals allege he wielded considerable influence during the TMC regime, with a say in the selection of beneficiaries for government schemes, the awarding of contracts, and the allocation of housing units.
Police said Roy had gone into hiding after the BJP assumed power and was eventually arrested from Mandarmani in East Midnapore.
Known in Falta and Diamond Harbour for his proximity to senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, Khan first grabbed national attention during the Assembly elections after a public confrontation with a police officer. In a defiant remark, the then TMC candidate from Falta compared himself to the titular character of the blockbuster film Pushpa, saying he would “never bend before anyone".
Falta was the only Assembly constituency where a repoll was held. By the time polling took place, however, the political landscape in West Bengal had shifted, and Khan stunned the TMC by withdrawing from the contest. In the party split that followed, several leaders cited the leadership’s perceived leniency towards Khan as one of the reasons for their disillusionment.
Initially booked in robbery and attempted murder cases, Khan has since been named in multiple extortion and other criminal cases. A police official said one of the cases involves the alleged looting of a businessman’s home and assaulting him, causing serious injuries that led to an attempt-to-murder charge. Police said another 10 to 12 complaints and cases are also pending against him.
Following his arrest, Khan was paraded through Falta on three separate occasions. In one widely circulated video, he was seen holding his ears and publicly apologising while being escorted by police.
Police maintained that the processions were carried out as part of crime scene reconstruction and claimed Khan voluntarily held his ears, performed squats, and apologised to the public.
A prominent local leader from Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas, Ansari was considered a close aide of senior TMC leader and Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra, one of the party leaders who remained loyal to Mamata Banerjee after the split. Ansari was arrested on May 31 and later paraded through Kamarhati in handcuffs.
Police accuse Ansari of operating multiple syndicates across different businesses and of using armed intimidation to exert control over the area. A Belgharia police official defended the public parade, saying it was intended to “send a stern warning to criminals."
Also known by the aliases Borey and Gabbar, Ahmed is the president of Ward No. 36 in Shibpur and is considered close to a former TMC minister. His wife, Shamima Banu, previously served as the councillor from the same ward.
Ahmed was arrested on May 21 from Chembur in Mumbai and later paraded by police through a crowded market in Sankrail, South Howrah, with a rope tied around his waist. Police have accused him of involvement in the May 7 attack on a BJP post-result rally led by Howrah Minority Cell president Shikandar Khan, in which three people were injured.
Shahin Molla, alias Sunny, a traffic home guard who was considered influential in South Howrah due to his proximity to a former TMC minister, was arrested by Sankrail police on May 23 in connection with an alleged extortion racket involving crores of rupees.
Following his arrest, personnel from the Central forces and Sankrail police escorted him on foot through the Chaura Basti area of Central Howrah with a rope tied around his waist. Police said the exercise was carried out as part of the investigation.