New Delhi: The Delhi Police arrested a wanted man, who was under the lens of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), involved in criminal activities ranging from circulation of counterfeit banknotes to leading a mob that set fire to a police station in West Bengal in January 2016.
Identified as the kingpin of a fake currency racket and financier of the acts of terrorism, the accused Assadullah Biswas, 61, was picked up by a team of Central district of the Delhi Police Thursday night from a hotel in Delhi’s Paharganj area in connection with a case of murder.
Police records maintained by the Delhi and West Bengal Police show that Biswas faces as many as 50 criminal cases, including those under the stringent Arms Act.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Central District, Harsh Vardhan Mandava told ThePrint that teams were constituted to keep an eye on hotels and homestays in the crowded and busy Paharganj area for checking cases of criminals hiding in such accommodation in the vicinity of the New Delhi railway station.
A tip-off to the local police about Biswas’s presence and criminal antecedents, especially the latest one registered at the Kaliachak police station in West Bengal’s Malda district, was received, the DCP said.
“At about 10:00 p.m., a team of Special Staff Central District swept through the hotels and zeroed in at the exact room where accused Assadullah Biswas from Malda was caught. Six mobile phones were recovered from his possession which were used by him to mislead the investigating agencies,” DCP Mandava said in a statement Friday.
Biswas told his interrogators that he arrived in Delhi on 7 September and was residing at the hotel since then, the police said.
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Political leanings & litany of cases
Biswas, a former member of the Trinamool Congress-run panchayat samiti in Malda, had switched over from the CPI(M) to the TMC, according to the police. He had canvassed for the TMC candidate in the 2016 Bengal elections and was known to enjoy political clout in Malda and its adjoining district of Murshidabad.
His criminal journey began in 1984 when the West Bengal Police booked him under Sections 149 (member of unlawful assembly) and 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Kaliachak police station.
Sources in the WB Police told ThePrint that Biswas was accused of assaulting Wahaidur Sheikh, 45, in Mojampur village under Malda district and while the case registered 19 August did not have the charge of murder, it was subsequently added as the victim died a couple of days later.
“His primary business is narcotics. On the morning of the day of assault, a rival gang injured his aide and in an act of revenge he assaulted Sheikh who eventually died two days later. He has been named in several drug and fake Indian currency notes cases in the past,” a West Bengal Police officer told ThePrint.
Biswas was booked under Sections 103(1) (murder), 109 (attempt to murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 118(2) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 189(4) (member of unlawful assembly with weapon), 191 (2) (rioting), 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in this case.
In the past, the West Bengal Police had booked him for allegedly leading a mob that assaulted policemen and set fire to the Kaliachak police station in January 2016. Later, it arrested him in September that year.
Subsequently, the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had seized 290 counterfeit notes of Rs 500 denomination from his residence in Mojampur.
After an order from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the NIA then lodged a case under Sections 489B and 489C of IPC dealing with using fake currency as genuine and its possession, and Sections 15(1) (a)(ii), and 16(b) for destruction of property and punishment for acts of terrorism under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2017.
However, Biswas got out on bail in January 2018 and since has been booked in six more cases, including the murder case in which he was arrested by the Delhi Police.
Taking cognisance of the NIA’s case under the UAPA, the ED also filed a case against Biswas and attached his properties worth Rs 4.67 crore in his village in January 2020.
Malda Superintendent of Police Pradeep Kumar Yadav told ThePrint that a team of Malda Police reached Delhi and arrested him in connection with the murder case.
“He was produced in court in Delhi and as part of procedure, we have obtained a transit remand to take him to Malda for initiating criminal proceedings,” SP Yadav told ThePrint.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Another gem from West Bengal. But the gem of all gems is the CM, Ms. Mamata Banerjee.
It is certain that Mr. Biswas enjoyed the patronage of Ms. Banerjee. As a result, he roamed around freely till date. West Bengal police would never act against him.