Missing Election Commission nodal officer rescued from Howrah by West Bengal CID

Arnab Roy, the Election Commission’s nodal officer who has gone missing from his office in West Bengal’s Krishnagar, was recused from Howrah by West Bengal CID on Thursday. The 30-year-old officer was in-charge of EVMs and VVPATs for the Ranaghat parliamentary constituency. The Nadia administration had lodged a missing complaint with the Kotwali police station at Krishnagar. Roy’s wife, Anisha Jash, also lodged a missing diary with the police on April 18.

He was found after tracking the location of his mobile phone, the IPS officer said. “We have found Mr Roy from a house in Howrah this morning. He is fine,” the CID officer told PTI. The CID officer also said that Roy was looking tired. Asked whether Roy was abducted or he was hiding on his own, the officer said, “We will talk to him to find out what actually happened.” Sumit Gupta, the Nadia District Magistrate, said that Arnab Roy is completely safe and is with his in-laws. 

Nadia has two parliamentary constituencies --- Ranaghat and Krishnanagar --- where elections are due on April 29, in the fourth phase.

Arnab Roy went missing from Bipradas Choudhury Polytechnic College, his current place of work. His vehicle was found parked outside the college. Both of his mobile phones were switched off and the police traced their last location near Shantipur, around 18 km from Krishnagar. Rumours were rife that he had an altercation with the district magistrate a few days ago.