Kolkata: Absconding Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Paresh Ram Das, the MLA representing Canning (Paschim) in South 24 Parganas district, was arrested at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata on Monday evening while allegedly attempting to flee to Mumbai.
Das, an accused in a high-profile rape and extortion case, had been evading law enforcement for 17 days and repeatedly failed to respond to summons issued by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police.
A special operations group from the Baruipur Police District, acting on specific intelligence, tracked Das to the airport and apprehended him with assistance from the Bidhannagar City Police.
The joint operation was conducted under the direct supervision of the Superintendent of Police, Bidhannagar Police District.
According to an official press release from the Baruipur District Police, Das is an accused in Canning Police Station Case No. 561/2026, registered on September 5, 2026, under Sections 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
The investigation originates from a complaint filed in September this year with the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Canning.
The victim alleged that before the 2023 panchayat elections, Das demanded Rs 4 lakh from her husband under the pretext of securing an election ticket. When the woman visited an old age home managed by the legislator to deliver the money, Das allegedly extorted the funds, locked her inside, and raped her.
The complainant further alleged that when she initially approached the Canning Police Station in 2023, officers refused to register an FIR.
Instead, she and her family were subjected to harassment, threats, and a bomb attack on their residence carried out by Das and his associates.
The victim stated that she gained the courage to pursue legal action following the recent political regime change in West Bengal.
Following the registration of the case in September, CID sleuths questioned Das once. However, the legislator went missing during the last week of October. Police subsequently raided his residence in Canning and arrested four TMC local leaders, while initiating a manhunt for the absconding lawmaker.
Das is among the few sitting Trinamool legislators maintaining allegiance to the faction led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Police confirmed that he will be produced before a district court in South 24 Parganas on Tuesday, where state prosecutors will seek his police custody.
(IANS)
