West Bengal election: Bombs found in backyard of TMC leader Arabul Islam

Plenty of crude bombs were found behind the home of former Trinamool Congress lawmaker Arabul Islam. He was arrested on Friday for an alleged murder of a supporter of an independent candidate.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had ordered Arabul’s arrest, after Haziful Mollah was shot on his face during a campaign rally.

While searching the area behind Arabul’s house in Bhangar, about 25 km from Kolkata, they found hundreds of crude bombs in buckets.

"The Chief Minister, by getting Arabul arrested can now say, she has done her 'rajdharma' but it is all an eyewash. He will be out in no time," said an eyewitness to a leading daily.

The West Bengal BJP chef, Dilip Ghosh emphasised on the ‘eyewash’ charge, whereas CPM’s SK Mishra said, "Nothing happens without the blessings of the Chief Minister, including the attack on the independent candidate's campaign rally at Bhangar."

Arabul, has been in trouble with Mamata Banerjee a lot of times and was suspended for six years, but was again back to usual business within a year-and-a-half as per the reports.

After he was presented in court on Saturday, Arabul said that he was not present in Bhangar at the time of the attack and his lawyer claimed that he had returned to the area after 6pm, hours after the incident.

There has been rise in tension in Bhangar on the eve of panchayat polls. The area has been a site of violent protests since January 2017 due to the land acquisition for a power grid station.