Ex-Trinamool MP skips police summons in case linked to husband’s arrest

Kolkata, July 1 (IANS) Former two-time Trinamool Congress MP Aparupa Poddar, who is accused of obstructing policemen while National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials arrested her husband and Trinamool councillor Shakir Ali, skipped appearing before the police at Serampore police station on Wednesday.

The police on Tuesday evening registered a suo motu case against the two-time former Trinamool Congress MP for allegedly obstructing policemen when NIA officials were taking her husband away from their home.

The police had asked her to appear at the said police station on Wednesday. She was supposed to arrive at 12 noon. However, even after the stipulated time had passed, the former MP was not seen at the police station.

Meanwhile, she was seen at the City Sessions Court in Kolkata when her husband, Shakir Ali, was produced before the NIA special court, also known as the Bankshall Court. After he was produced before the court, the hearing in the case began.

An official of the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate said, “If she did not appear at the police station, action will be taken as per the law.”

There was no immediate response from Aparupa Poddar on why she did not appear at the Serampore police station or the reason for her appearance in court. Her lawyer also did not immediately comment on the matter.

On Tuesday, Trinamool Congress councillor of Rishra Municipality in Hooghly district, Shakir Ali, husband of Aparupa Poddar, was arrested by the NIA in connection with the 2023 Ram Navami violence case.

On Tuesday evening, the police registered a suo motu case against Aparupa after she was accused of misbehaving with government officials on duty and obstructing their work.

In fact, after Shakir’s arrest, when the NIA and central forces were taking him away in a vehicle, Aparupa got into an argument with a female police officer on the road. The police officer was saying something to the former MP. However, Aparupa pushed her hand away.

It is not clear whether this allegation was made against Aparupa only in the wake of that incident or in connection with some other incident during the NIA raid that lasted about four and a half hours on Tuesday.

–IANS

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