New Delhi, Aug 15 (NationPress) In a suo motu firearms case, police have apprehended Saddam Sheikh, the son of former Katwa Municipal Councillor Jangal Sheikh, nearly two years after the initial case was registered in West Bengal.

Saddam was taken into custody on Thursday night from a de-addiction centre located in Nadia, West Bengal.

On Friday, he appeared before the Katwa Sub-Divisional Court, where the judge mandated a six-day police remand. According to police reports, on September 26, 2023, Katwa Police filed charges against Saddam, including illegal possession of firearms.

At the time of his arrest, he was already incarcerated in relation to another case. A previous petition for his arrest in the firearms matter had been dismissed by the ACJM Court. However, on Thursday evening, acting on the ongoing charges, Katwa Police apprehended him from the rehabilitation facility in Nadia.

Saddam’s attorney claimed that police brutally assaulted him during his transfer from the de-addiction centre late at night, a claim captured on CCTV, which has since gone viral on social media, eliciting public outcry. Once a significant figure in Katwa alongside his father, Jangal Sheikh, Saddam has been associated with various criminal activities, including theft and robbery.

Despite numerous charges, the father-son duo has frequently managed to secure acquittals.

Police have indicated that during the six-day custody period, Saddam will be interrogated to trace the origins of the firearms and identify other individuals involved in the case.

Defence counsel Tarun Banerjee accused the police of misusing their authority, physically assaulting his client, and attempting to falsely implicate him as part of a political conspiracy.

He further asserted that the matter would be escalated to higher courts, raising concerns of human rights violations.

This arrest has reignited conversations in Katwa regarding the former influence of Saddam Sheikh and his family.