CBI arrests proclaimed offender in 2021 Bengal post-poll murder case
Synopsis
Nearly four years after the 2021 West Bengal post-poll violence, the CBI has tracked down and arrested proclaimed offender Arup Das — one of 38 charge-sheeted accused in the Avijit Sarkar murder case — from Guwahati using human intelligence and technical inputs. With a former TMC MLA and two ex-councillors also among the accused, the case remains a flashpoint for allegations of politically motivated violence.
Key Takeaways
CBI arrested proclaimed offender Arup Das , alias Bapi Das , from Guwahati on 6 August 2025 .
Das was wanted in the murder of Avijit Sarkar on 2 May 2021 at Sitalatala Lane, Kolkata , during post-poll violence.
He had been absconding since the case was registered in 2021 ; CBI had announced a ₹50,000 cash reward for his arrest.
CBI charge-sheeted 38 persons in the case, including former TMC MLA Paresh Pal and ex-councillors Swapan Samaddar and Papiya Ghosh .
Das will be produced before the City Sessions Court, Kolkata on 7 August 2025 .
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday, 6 August 2025, arrested proclaimed offender Arup Das, alias Bapi Das, from Guwahati in connection with the murder of Avijit Sarkar during the 2021 post-poll violence in West Bengal. Das had been absconding for nearly four years since the case was registered, evading both investigators and the trial court.
How the Arrest Was Made
According to the CBI, Das was traced and apprehended in Guwahati using a combination of human intelligence and technical inputs developed by the investigating team. The agency had previously announced a cash reward of ₹50,000 for information leading to his arrest, signalling the difficulty in locating him. He had neither joined the investigation nor appeared before the City Sessions Court in Kolkata, where the case is currently under trial.
The Avijit Sarkar Murder Case
The case pertains to the alleged murder of Avijit Sarkar on 2 May 2021 at Sitalatala Lane, Kolkata, amid widespread violence that erupted following the declaration of the West Bengal Assembly election results. The CBI took over the probe following an order of the Calcutta High Court dated 19 August 2021, registering the case on 25 August 2021 after taking over the Narkeldanga Police Station FIR.
Charge Sheet and Key Accused
After completing its investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet and supplementary charge sheets in 2021 and 2025 against 38 accused persons under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code. Among those charge-sheeted are Arup Das alias Bapi Das, former All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Paresh Pal, and former TMC councillors Swapan Samaddar and Papiya Ghosh. The political profile of the accused underscores the allegations of partisan motivation that originally prompted the High Court's intervention.
What Happens Next
The CBI said Das would be brought to Kolkata and produced before the competent court on Friday, 7 August 2025. The Avijit Sarkar murder case is one of several 2021 post-poll violence cases transferred to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court following allegations of politically motivated attacks and inadequate action by local police. The arrest is likely to renew scrutiny of the broader set of pending cases still before the courts.
Point of View
The case is as much a political trial as a criminal one. What mainstream coverage underplays is the volume of similar cases still stalled: the Calcutta High Court transferred multiple post-poll violence cases to the CBI precisely because local enforcement was deemed compromised, yet arrests and convictions have been slow. Each fresh development in these cases is a reminder that the 2021 violence has not been fully reckoned with — judicially or politically.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Arup Das alias Bapi Das, and why was he arrested?
Arup Das, alias Bapi Das, is a proclaimed offender arrested by the CBI on 6 August 2025 from Guwahati. He is accused in the murder of Avijit Sarkar during the 2021 post-poll violence in West Bengal and had been absconding since the case was registered in 2021.
What is the Avijit Sarkar murder case?
It is a case involving the alleged murder of Avijit Sarkar on 2 May 2021 at Sitalatala Lane, Kolkata, during violence that broke out after the West Bengal Assembly election results. The Calcutta High Court transferred the case to the CBI on 19 August 2021 citing allegations of politically motivated attacks and inadequate local police action.
Who else has been charge-sheeted in this case?
The CBI has charge-sheeted 38 persons, including former TMC MLA Paresh Pal and former TMC councillors Swapan Samaddar and Papiya Ghosh, under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
How did the CBI locate Arup Das after four years?
The CBI traced Das to Guwahati through human intelligence and technical inputs developed by its investigating team. The agency had also announced a cash reward of ₹50,000 for information leading to his arrest.
What happens to Arup Das now?
Das is being brought to Kolkata and will be produced before the City Sessions Court on 7 August 2025. The case is currently under trial at that court.
