Kolkata: Arrested SSB official escapes from police custody, surrenders later

Earlier on Thursday night, police from Diamond Harbour Police Station arrested one SSB commandant, D.K. Singh, a constable of the Central armed police force, Amitabha Maity, and a local trader, Mozammel Mondal, from Sarisha area after a resident of Raidighi, Altaf Jamadar, was allegedly shot dead inside Sarisha's Prince Market.

When police were taking three accused to court on Friday morning, few SSB jawans from nearby SSB camp at Sarisha reached the scene and took away the commandant and his companion from police custody.

Following the dramatic escape, the SSB official took shelter inside the central force's camp.

Later a heavy police force, led by senior officials, reached the camp and cordoned it off.

Senior officials of West Bengal police asked the superior officials of SSB in New Delhi to take adequate steps and hours later, the SSB commandant surrendered to the police.

A local police official told IBNS that the SSB officer has been taken to custody again and was produced in a local court.

Condemning of the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "The incident was highly deplorable. Law and order is our state administration's subject."

"SSB intervened in it and snatched a murder case accused from police station - it's just unthinkable," she said from Siliguri.

Meanwhile, IG of SSB's Siliguri frontier, Srikumar Bandyopadhyay, told IBNS, "SSB always follows country's law and order and rules. After I was informed about the incident, I directed our officials to hand the accused commandant over to the police."

"We've commenced a departmental probe into the matter," Bandyopadhyay added.

ADG (law and order) of West Bengal Police, Anuj Sharma, said that they are looking into the matter.

"The incident, happened today, was very shocking and unthinkable. Our police are investigating the case and I informed the senior officials of SSB about the entire episode," Anuj Shamra told IBNS.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)