Kolkata, 3 September (H.S.):

Kolkata Police on Wednesday arrested BJP leader Rakesh Singh, who had been absconding in connection with the vandalism at the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) headquarters. Singh was picked up from a flat in Tangra, near the EM Bypass, in the early hours of the day. He will be produced before the Sealdah court, where police are expected to seek his custody.

Police sources said Singh was apprehended around 2 a.m. following a tip-off. As he was being escorted to the police van, Singh shouted slogans in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and declared, “Rakesh Singh fears no one.”

The incident dates back to August 29, when BJP workers led by Singh allegedly stormed the state Congress headquarters in Kolkata. During the protest, posters of Rahul Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders were torn down, banners were damaged, and party flags were set on fire. The attack was in retaliation against remarks made by Rahul Gandhi during his ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar, which the BJP claimed were derogatory towards Prime Minister Modi.

Following the vandalism, Singh had gone underground but remained active on social media, posting statements against the police and accusing them of harassing his family. Earlier, police had arrested his son, Shivam Singh, for allegedly helping him evade arrest. In response, Singh had accused the police of targeting his family.

Prior to Singh’s arrest, three others—Vijay Prasad Dhanuk, Santosh Kumar Rajbhar, and Dibyendu Samanta—had already been taken into custody in connection with the case, based on the FIR filed by the Congress. Just days ago, police teams had raided Singh’s residence but failed to locate him.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh