Cooch Behar, June 21 -- A Trinamool Congress leader who had allegedly been evading arrest for nearly a month was found hiding inside a government water project pump house and was subsequently handed over to the police by local residents on Sunday. The incident occurred in Bakla village under the Mahishkuchi-II area of Tufanganj-II Block in Cooch Behar district.
According to local sources, residents discovered Jahanuddin Ahmed, the vice-president of a local Trinamool Congress unit, hiding inside the pump house on Sunday morning. An angry crowd allegedly assaulted him before informing the police. He was later rescued by police personnel and taken to the Boxirhat Block Primary Health Centre for treatment.
Locals alleged that Ahmed had been hiding in the government-owned water project facility since the announcement of the 2026 Assembly election results. Residents further claimed that following the 2021 Assembly elections, he was involved in incidents of political violence, including house vandalism, extortion and intimidation of opposition supporters.
Local resident Sujit Saha alleged that several families were targeted after the 2021 elections and claimed that Ahmed had occupied the water project premises as a hideout. "After learning about his whereabouts, residents informed the police, who arrived and arrested him," he said.
Echoing similar allegations, local BJP leader Kamal Pradhan claimed that BJP workers and supporters were attacked under Ahmed's leadership after the 2021 elections and that he had remained in hiding since May 2026.
Police officials later reached the spot, rescued the accused from the crowd, and took him into custody. According to police sources, an investigation is currently underway.
Trinamool Congress leaders had not issued any statement on the allegations at the time of filing this report.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.