Former West Bengal Jail Minister Ujjwal Biswas was arrested by state police on charges of relief material theft. He was apprehended from his residence in Krishnanagar, Nadia district, on Tuesday night. During the arrest, a mob attacked his home, throwing eggs at him.
Biswas, who won the Krishnanagar South seat in Nadia district as a Trinamool Congress candidate in 2011, held various ministerial positions including Jail Minister and Minister of Science, Technology, and Biotechnology.
He received a large quantity of relief materials including blankets, dhotis, sarees, clothes, leggings, and other items. These materials were stored in his warehouse. Allegations arose that he did not distribute these materials and kept them in his warehouse.
On Tuesday night, a mob, reportedly agitated by these allegations, attacked his home causing significant damage. Eggs were thrown at Biswas. The Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of orchestrating the attack.
Some locals alleged that they discovered the relief materials being removed on Tuesday, leading to the mob action. However, Biswas's nephew, Dr. Saumya Narayan Khatua, claimed that Biswas did not misappropriate any relief materials. He alleged that a group of BJP workers attacked Biswas's home while he was returning the materials.
Biswas lost his seat in the recent assembly elections to BJP candidate Sajal Ghosh.
