Weapons, explosives recovered from TMC's Arambagh party office, local leader arrested

The Arambagh police have arrested Rakesh Ali, a powerful Trinamool Congress (TMC) district general secretary, following a sensational discovery of weapons and explosives at a party office. Following the recent election results, police conducted a targeted raid on the TMC office located adjacent to the Arambagh bus stand. The operation led to the recovery of several sharp weapons inside the building and live bombs stashed on the roof, turning the political hub into what local authorities described as a den of criminal activity.

Rakesh Ali, who was a dominant figure in the Arambagh organizational district, had gone into hiding immediately after the investigation was launched. For days, he managed to evade the police, but his run ended on Sunday when he was tracked down and taken into custody. Investigators allege that the party office, which was supposed to be a center for organizational meetings, was instead being used to stockpile an arsenal for planned violence.

The arrest has triggered a massive political storm, with local BJP leaders calling for a deeper probe into the criminalization of local politics. BJP MLA Hemant Bagh labeled Rakesh Ali a "criminal" and accused the TMC leadership of turning the peaceful town into a center for terrorism. This incident follows a similar recovery of a box full of bombs from another TMC office in the area, where local councilor Sanjay Gharui was also accused by residents of plotting post-poll violence.