Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) state secretary Ashiq Iqbal was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, 20 September 2026, after police intercepted his vehicle during routine naka checking in the Garinama area of Hariharpara, Murshidabad district, and recovered 108 fake ₹500 notes worth ₹54,000, along with two firearms and four rounds of ammunition. A second accused, Bablu Sheikh of Shahajadpur, was also arrested from the same vehicle.

How the Arrests Unfolded

A special team from Hariharpara police station was conducting naka checking late on Friday night when officers grew suspicious of a Bolero car. On stopping and searching the vehicle, they found the counterfeit currency hidden inside, in addition to the two firearms and four live rounds. Both Iqbal and Sheikh were detained on the spot and formally arrested on charges of possessing fake currency and illegal weapons.

Police produced the two accused before the Murshidabad District Court on Saturday. Hariharpara police station has applied for seven-day custody of the arrested individuals to assist in tracing other alleged members of the network.

Who Is Ashiq Iqbal

Ashiq Iqbal, a resident of Kebalrampur in Hariharpara, serves as the state secretary of AJUP, a party founded and led by MLA Humayun Kabir. Iqbal had unsuccessfully contested from the Baharampur constituency in this year's Assembly elections. His arrest comes weeks before a bypoll is scheduled in the neighbouring Rejinagar Assembly constituency on 6 October, lending the episode a charged political backdrop.

Investigation and Police Suspicion

Investigators have launched a probe to determine the origin of the fake notes and firearms, their intended destination, and the purpose behind their possession. According to police, initial findings suggest a possible link to a gang involved in counterfeit currency and arms smuggling — though no formal charges connecting the accused to a larger syndicate have been filed as yet.

Political Fallout: AJUP and BJP Trade Charges

AJUP founder and president Humayun Kabir alleged that the arrests were politically motivated, claiming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was 'using the police as a broker to make the elections free from competition.' He added, 'If people get a chance to vote, public opinion will go against the BJP. The BJP has understood this. The BJP is doing this in a planned manner so that people get scared and do not vote, so that opposition candidates cannot campaign or contest.'

BJP candidate from Rejinagar Assembly constituency Shankharav Sarkar dismissed the allegations, stating, 'The issue is not who is Humayun Kabir, who brought fake money, who planted the bomb. This is a fight to establish good governance. A fight to bring industry to the Rejinagar industrial area. People are looking at that. The BJP has won in Rejinagar. It is just a matter of time for the result to come out. The BJP does not bother about these minor issues.'

The arrests add fresh tension to an already contentious pre-bypoll atmosphere in Murshidabad, and investigators are expected to widen the probe as custody proceedings proceed.