After Nandigram, Rejinagar Independent candidate arrested in old election clash case

An Independent candidate for the Rejinagar Assembly bypoll in West Bengal has been arrested in a five-year-old case linked to a clash between two groups during the 2021 state elections, police said. Saiful Islam, who is associated with the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) led by Humayun Kabir, was arrested on September 19.

The arrest came a day after police arrested Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, the party's nominee for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll, in a case that is nearly two decades old and was registered during protests against land acquisition in the area. The two bypolls are scheduled for October 6.

Police said the bypolls were necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari vacated Nandigram, which he had won along with Bhabanipur, while Rejinagar fell vacant after Kabir retained Nawda after winning both seats in the 2026 Assembly polls.

"Officials from Berhampore police station arrested Saiful Islam in connection with a case dating back to the previous Assembly election, when a clash had broken out between two groups," an officer told PTI.

On Saturday, police also sent a notice to AJUP chief Humayun Kabir, asking him to appear before investigating officers on Monday in a case registered over an alleged conspiracy to create tension between two communities.

A senior officer said the case was registered on September 14 after police recently played an audio recording at a press conference in Berhampore. Police claimed the conversation suggested a possible conspiracy to instigate tension between two communities.

Meanwhile, AJUP state secretary Ashik Iqbal was arrested on Friday during vehicle checking at a police picket in Murshidabad district with a large quantity of fake currency and illegal arms, officials said.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 20, 2026 09:39 IST