Former BJP MP Declines to Surrender Licensed Firearm Without Court Order

Synopsis

Arjun Singh, a former BJP MP, refuses to submit his licensed firearm to the police without a court order, alleging a political conspiracy against him. He has received interim protection from the Calcutta High Court amid ongoing allegations related to a shootout incident.

Key Takeaways

Arjun Singh asserts he won't surrender his firearm without a court order.
Claims of a conspiracy by the Trinamool Congress against him.
Received interim protection from the Calcutta High Court.
Allegations stem from a shootout incident on March 26.
Dilip Ghosh warns of consequences for the state government.

Kolkata, April 5 (NationPress) Arjun Singh, the former BJP Lok Sabha MP representing the Barrackpore constituency in West Bengal, has firmly stated that he will not comply with the local police's request to submit his licensed firearm unless he receives a direct court order regarding the matter.

Singh disclosed that he had been issued a notice by the police to report to the local station with his licensed firearm for submission.

“However, I will neither visit the police station nor surrender my licensed firearm there. I will do so only if the court instructs me to. The Trinamool Congress is attempting to eliminate me using police force,” Singh expressed to the media on Saturday.

Previously, a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court provided interim protection to Singh from any coercive police actions, including arrest, related to a shootout involving two groups of miscreants on March 26.

During the incident near his home on March 26, a worker from the Trinamool Congress sustained injuries from a bullet.

The local Trinamool Congress leaders accused Singh of firing the bullet from his pistol that hit the individual. The police subsequently issued notices for Singh to appear for interrogation, which he disregarded.

An arrest warrant was then issued against him, prompting him to seek relief from the Calcutta High Court. The matter was heard on Wednesday, and after the hearing, Justice Sengupta granted him interim relief from any coercive measures.

From the outset, Singh has denied the allegations leveled against him. He asserted that while attempting to mediate a dispute between two factions of workers from a local Meghna Jute Mill, he was confronted by supporters of the ruling party, led by Namit Singh, who initiated a quarrel.

Former BJP national vice president and Lok Sabha member Dilip Ghosh also claimed that a clear conspiracy exists to assassinate Singh. “We will hold the state government accountable if anything happens to him,” Ghosh stated.