TMC MLA arrested at Kolkata airport in rape, extortion cases while trying to flee

Trinamool Congress (Ritabrata Banerjee camp) MLA Paresh Ram Das was arrested at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Monday in connection with multiple cases, including those involving rape, extortion and post-poll violence, police said.The Canning Paschim legislator was apprehended by a special team from Baruipur Police in the afternoon while he was allegedly attempting to travel from Kolkata to Mumbai to evade investigation.Acting on specific source information, the police team intercepted Das at the airport while he was preparing to board his flight. A police officer told news agency PTI that the MLA had been evading arrest for some time and was apprehended after a prolonged search.Das has been booked in multiple cases related to post-poll violence and under Sections 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Police said Das would be taken to Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district and produced before a court on Tuesday in connection with the cases.A political row has erupted within the Trinamool Congress over Das's arrest, with leaders from the party's two camps trading accusations. MLA Kunal Ghosh, who is seen as part of the Mamata Banerjee camp, questioned the timing of the arrest. He claimed that Das had been safe as long as he was aligned with the Ritabrata Banerjee camp, but was now being accused of trying to flee after expressing his intention to join hands with Mamata Banerjee. On the other hand, Ritabrata camp chairman Arup Roy defended the police action, saying they might have taken Das into custody after finding crucial evidence against him. He also dismissed Ghosh's allegations.- EndsInputs from PTI