It was a long, tense Sunday in central Kolkata before police could make good on the arrest of Councillor Jasimuddin. They had to make their way into his home to take him in. With the case adding to the watchful eye on KMC heads, the number of TMC councillors in trouble has hit eight.
What led to this
According to the police, you have to go back three years to when a girl, then a minor, was said to be hounded by some of the councillor’s inner circle. She is in college now, but on Saturday in the Kalabagan part of town, she was at it again and told off for even thinking of pulling out of the old case.
That was enough for her family to file a report at the Jorasanko station. A case is now open under several sections of the 2012 POCSO Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Five people are in the crosshairs, the councillor among them.
Police did manage to put one of Jasimuddin’s people in cuffs on Saturday night. They are sifting through the new and the old to see where the culpability lies.
The way it went down
When the cops and some from the centre showed up at the councillor’s place in the early hours, they were met with a closed door that would not budge for some time. After a few hours of no response, they had to get a locksmith to do the job and he was in custody by the afternoon.
You can imagine the row it caused in the area. As they were putting him in a car, his well-wishers were out in force. Some from the BJP were there too, throwing eggs at him. It took the police to put a lid on things and beef up security.
Where he stands politically
Jasimuddin is the man for Ward 39 in Jorasanko with the KMC. He was with the CPI(M) once upon a time, but made the switch to the Trinamool before the 2015 local polls and has held the ward ever since.
People in the know say he was in good with ex-MLA Vivek Gupta, who was left without a ticket for 2026. The party has been quiet on the matter, but the air in Jorasanko is thick with it.
This is all about who is answerable in local government. Since the state changed hands, eight of the TMC’s own from the KMC have been in the dock. The opposition is making hay of it while the law does its work.
On the books
He is being held to the letter of the POCSO Act. The fact that the BNS is in the mix means the probe is broader than just the recent complaint. They are in the process of getting statements and putting together the evidence.
With old and new claims to wade through, it is not a straight line for the investigators. Their job is to check the facts and the timelines as the law allows.
Looking ahead
The police are treading carefully to keep the peace. Here is the lay of the land:
– The investigation is moving along
– Jorasanko is more of a fortress than usual
– The case is filed under POCSO and the BNS
– Five have been called out; one was in the bag by Saturday
For those living here, it has been an anxious day. For the party in power, there are some hard questions. And for the ones on the ground, it is a matter of building a case that will hold up with what the documents and witnesses can show.
All eyes will be on the order of events and the part each of the five played. We may yet hear from the Trinamool on this, which would change the dynamic. Until then, it is in the hands of the police and the mood in Jorasanko is anything but calm.
