Trinamool Congress MLA Paresh Ram Das was arrested at Kolkata airporton Monday in connection with multiple cases, including rape, extortion and post-poll violence, police said.
A special team of Baruipur Police apprehended the Canning Paschim legislator in the afternoon when he was preparing to board a flight to Mumbai. Das had been absconding for some time, according to the police.
"He had been absconding for quite some time. Our team managed to nab him from the airport today," a police officer told PTI.
Following his arrest, Das will be taken to Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district and produced before a court on Tuesday, the officer said.
The arrest comes amid a series of cases and allegations against the MLA. The Calcutta High Court had, in May, granted him interim protection from coercive action in connection with six FIRs registered at Canning police station on May 16. Five of the six cases related to incidents dating back to 2021, while the sixth concerned an alleged incident on April 20, 2026.
The court had directed the police to continue their investigation and asked Das to cooperate with the investigators. The interim protection was granted until June 30 or until further orders, whichever was earlier.
Separately, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had summoned Das in September for questioning in connection with violence during the 2023 panchayat elections.
The investigation, which followed a Calcutta High Court order, relates to allegations of firing and attempt to murder during the polls. Das had appeared before the agency but was hospitalised after complaining of chest pain and breathlessness during questioning.
(With inputs from PTI)