Kolkata, 07 June (H.S.) : Kolkata Police on Sunday arrested Mohammed Jasimuddin, councillor of Ward No. 39 in the Jorasanko area of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), in connection with a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to officials, police and central forces were deployed outside his residence since Sunday morning. Jasimuddin allegedly did not open the door despite repeated requests. After waiting for nearly six hours, police entered the premises by unlocking the outer gate and took him into custody.

The arrest triggered tension in the locality, with supporters staging protests outside his residence. Reports also suggest that BJP supporters joined the demonstrations, holding eggs and raising slogans during the protest.

Police have registered a case against Jasimuddin under the POCSO Act along with multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to criminal conspiracy, intimidation, unlawful activities, and violation of the victim’s privacy.

Local sources stated that the case relates to an alleged incident of harassment involving a minor girl from the area around three years ago. The complainant, who is now a college student, reportedly faced fresh intimidation on Saturday, allegedly aimed at forcing her to withdraw the earlier complaint. Following this, the victim’s family filed a new police complaint, prompting action.

Police had also arrested one close associate of the councillor on Saturday night. In total, five individuals, including Jasimuddin, have been named in the FIR.

The complaint also includes allegations of criminal intimidation, disclosure of the victim’s identity, sexual harassment, and involvement in illegal activities and conspiracy.

The arrest comes a day after another Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillor, Bappaditya Dasgupta of Ward No. 101, was arrested in an alleged extortion case. Dasgupta, a former BJP leader who joined the Trinamool Congress in 2010, had also served as chief whip of TMC councillors, adding to a series of recent legal troubles involving civic body representatives.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh