Bengal BJP leader held for 'vandalising' Congress' state headquarters

Kolkata, Sep 3 (PTI) BJP leader Rakesh Singh was arrested for allegedly being involved in vandalising the Congress' West Bengal unit headquarters here, police said on Wednesday.

Singh, who had been absconding since the attack on the Bidhan Bhavan in central Kolkata on August 29, was apprehended from a housing complex in Tangra area in the eastern part of the city, a senior officer said.

"We have arrested him on Tuesday night from Tangra in connection with the attack on the Congress office. He was hiding there. The accused will be produced before the court on Wednesday," he said.

Singh was seen "engaging in the act of vandalising the Congress office", the officer said.

During the attack, cutouts of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other senior party functionaries were defaced, and its flags were torn, the police said.

The Kolkata Police have arrested several individuals in connection with the August 29 incident, but Singh remained untraceable.

"On Sunday night, police officers raided his residence, but he was not there. His son Shivam Singh was interrogated multiple times and was later taken into custody," the officer said.

"While in hiding, Rakesh Singh released a video clip threatening the police and launched a verbal attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Two days after the release of that video, he was arrested," the police added. PTI SCH BDC