- By Surarika Das
- Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:53 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Police said seven FIRs were filed against Khan at Falta police station in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district.
- The cases are liked to the EVM tampering by applying tapes on BJP sympols in the South 24 Parganas Constituency.
- Jahangir Khan later withdrew his candidacy ahead of the repolls.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Jahangir Khan was arrested on Monday by the State Police Special Task Force (STF). Officials said Khan was apprehended near the Nepal border area after remaining absconding for several days. The STF had been tracking his movements based on intelligence inputs before carrying out the operation.
Police said seven FIRs were filed against Khan at Falta police station in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district. The cases are liked to the EVM tampering by applying tapes on BJP sympols in the South 24 Parganas Constituency.
High Court Withdraws Interim Protection
The Calcutta High Court had withdrawn interim protection previously granted to Khan from any coercive action by the police in a series of criminal cases filed against him. The court on May 18 had allowed Khan relief from coercive steps, but this was later cancelled.The judges stated that continuing such protection would not be appropriate simply because of a change in the political situation in the state and claims of political vendetta raised by the petitioner.
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Khan's lawyer, Kishore Dutta stated that the cases were registered against his client as part of a political revenge. Dutta claimed that the police protection was not only linked to the elections, but also to safeguard Khan From alleged harassment.
Story Behind 'Pushpa'
In the Falta Assembly constituency, IPS officer Ajal Pal Sharma warned him over allegations of voter intimidation. Sharma is often dubbed to as "Singham" for his police encounters and strict attitude towards criminals.
In an open rally, Khan challenged the officer and used a famous dialogue from a South Indian movie "Pushpa: The Rise", saying, " If he is Singham, I am Pushpa, who never bows down."
After this confrontation, Khan became widely known as "Pushpa." However, he later withdrew his candidacy ahead of a repollection and subsequently had a run-in with the law, making his "Pushpa" moniker a major focal point for political mockery from rival BJP leaders.