Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: Trinamool leader and former state minister Udayan Guha has been arrested. Cooch Behar district police arrested him on Wednesday in connection with an old case. He was taken into custody from his flat in Phulbagan. The former North Bengal Development Minister will be taken to North Bengal. Police sources indicate that Udayan, the former Trinamool MLA from Dinhata, was arrested in connection with a post-poll violence case. Allegations had surfaced linking him to post-election violence in Cooch Behar following both the 2021 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Apart from the post-poll violence charges, there are also cases of alleged corruption against him. Another police source reported that the Cooch Behar district police arrested him in connection with a financial embezzlement case, though this pertains to an older matter. According to police sources, the former MLA was arrested over allegations of extortion involving crores of rupees, a case registered at Dinhata Police Station. Following his arrest, he was taken to Phulbagan Police Station. Police sources state that he will be produced before the Sealdah Court and taken to Cooch Behar on transit remand; the police are set to transport the former minister to North Bengal today. Udayan had left Cooch Behar after losing to the BJP candidate in the Dinhata Assembly constituency on May 4 and had been residing in Kolkata since then. Udayan Guha is a well-known and influential figure in North Bengal politics. After leaving the Forward Bloc to join the Trinamool Congress, he emerged as one of the party's key faces in the region. However, his controversial and harsh remarks frequently caused embarrassment for the party. Several serious allegations—including making inflammatory statements, assault, and inciting electoral violence—had been lodged against him over time. Sources indicate that this legal action stems from a specific, older case registered at Dinhata Police Station. However, the district police have not yet clarified exactly which case led to the arrest. After being taken to Phulbagan Police Station, Udayan claimed that he already held anticipatory bail for the case in question. The former state minister alleged that his arrest was unlawful.
