Hooghly, 14 July (H.S.): The police have arrested influential Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader of Goghat Farid Khan in West Bengal's Hooghly district on charges including extortion and creating unrest in the area.

Farid Khan served as the Karmadhyaksha of the Goghat-II Panchayat Samiti and was also the president of the TMC's Paschimpara regional unit.

According to the police, on May 21, a country-made hand cannon and sacks filled with explosive materials were recovered from a location close to Khan's residence at Jharia in Paschimpara, Goghat. He had been absconding since the recovery.

Local BJP leaders had alleged that the weapons and explosives were stockpiled to create violence in the event of an unfavourable election outcome and had been demanding Khan's arrest.

Goghat Police arrested Khan from the Dumdum area of Kolkata on Monday. He was produced before a court on Tuesday.

Khan is considered a close associate of former Arambagh MP Aparupa Poddar and Nirmal Maji, the TMC's Goghat candidate in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

Speaking to mediapersons while being taken to court on Tuesday, Khan claimed that he had been falsely implicated in the case.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey