Jahangir Khan is now in for five days of police custody. It is a development that has put the ruling party on the spot as it deals with its share of infighting and comes under the microscope of the authorities. The court’s order, which comes in the wake of his arrest, has made this more than just a local story.
The local court made its call on Tuesday morning after listening to both sides and gave the police the remand they were after. Those in law enforcement have let it be known they will be making the most of the time they have with him while the probe is underway.
What the remand enables
You can expect the next few days to be all about putting questions to Khan over the supposed financial improprieties and any ties to the local underworld. Officials won’t go into the nitty-gritty, but they have put it on the table that there will be more raids and some of his associates will be called in for a chat.
It was the Diamond Harbour sub-divisional court that acceded to the prosecution’s wishes on a number of cases. We are told by those in the know that the custody is linked to no less than seven FIRs put in at the Falta station.
Key developments at a glance:
– Court hands Khan over to the police for five days
– He was taken in near the India-Nepal border at Panitanki
– A total of seven FIRs at Falta
– ‘Extortion’ is among the charges, per the police file
– More raids are in the offing while he is in remand
Political reactions and fault lines
For the most part, the top brass at the TMC have been quiet. Insiders say they are holding off on an official word until they have the full picture, a sign of caution in an organisation that is under some strain.
Down at the grassroots level, you can find some who are taken aback by how fast things have moved. They’ll tell you Khan is a hard-working organizer. You see a party trying to have it both ways: keeping order while not alienating the rank and file.
The opposition didn’t wait around. Samik Bhattacharya of the BJP put it bluntly, calling it “yet another example of TMC’s internal rot” and claiming that when a leader is no longer useful, he is “thrown under the bus.” The CPI(M) has been quick to join in on the criticism as well.
Background on Khan and the case trajectory
Khan was picked up on Monday in the Panitanki area of North Bengal, not far from the Nepal border. The authorities are pointing to ‘extortion’ and a host of other things in their investigation.
He put in a run for the Falta assembly seat in the state election and didn’t make it. Strangely, he had been out of sight in the South 24 Parganas constituency for a day or two before the repoll on May 21st.
Then came the remand on Tuesday, showing how fast this has all come to a head. The police are being tight-lipped on the details, but don’t be surprised if the remand period is anything but quiet.
What to watch next
This is not an easy time for the TMC. With factions vying for power and the central agencies breathing down their necks, the case is a test of the party’s unity. The leadership is being measured, watching the legal process before they make a move.
As for the investigators, the coming five days are make-or-break. If the line of questioning and the raids bear fruit, the scope of the probe could get a lot bigger, especially when it comes to money and connections.
The opposition has some new fuel for the fire. Look for the BJP and the CPI(M) to make a big deal out of it, using the arrest to cast a wider net of disapproval over the government.
There is more at play here than one man in custody. How this remand plays out will have a say in how we view law and order, and the ebb and flow of power in a state where politics is never dull.
The plan for the police is straightforward: do the interrogations, maybe hit a few more places, and look into his circle. But in the end, it will be what the evidence shows and how the politicians react to it that will matter.
