Two TMC leaders arrested in Bengal after 6 years for Nadda convoy attack, arms seized
Synopsis
Nearly six years after J.P. Nadda's convoy was attacked twice in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal Police have arrested two influential TMC leaders from Magrahat West — and seized firearms from them. The long-delayed action revives one of the most politically charged law-and-order episodes in Bengal's recent history.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal Police arrested two TMC leaders from Magrahat West, South 24 Parganas on 21 September 2026 .
The arrests relate to the 10 December 2020 attack on the convoy of then BJP national president J.P.
Nadda in Diamond Harbour .
Firearms were seized from the accused; police are investigating the source of the weapons.
The convoy was attacked at two locations — Sirakol (Usti) and Dostipur (Falta) — both under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency .
Senior BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh and Sukanta Majumdar were present in the convoy during the 2020 attack.
Police said the investigation is ongoing to identify any additional suspects involved.
West Bengal Police on Monday, 21 September 2026, arrested two influential Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders from South 24 Parganas district in connection with the December 2020 attack on the convoy of then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president J.P. Nadda — nearly six years after the incident. Firearms were also recovered from the accused, police confirmed.
Arrests and Arms Recovery
The two accused were apprehended from the Magrahat West area under Diamond Harbour subdivision in South 24 Parganas. A police officer confirmed that firearms were seized from their possession and that an investigation is underway to trace the source of the weapons. 'We are investigating where they got the firearm from. The police are also trying to find out if anyone else was involved in this incident,' the officer said.
Authorities described the arrested individuals as long-time TMC-affiliated figures with a history of alleged anti-social activities in the region. 'The two were involved in various anti-social activities for a long time. Apart from that, there were also allegations against the two for carrying out hooliganism in the area with a bike gang,' the officer said, adding that their involvement in the Nadda convoy attack was among the charges. The officer did not elaborate on the specific role each individual played in the 2020 attack.
The December 2020 Convoy Attack: What Happened
On 10 December 2020, Nadda's convoy was attacked twice while he was travelling to a party meeting at Diamond Harbour. The first attack occurred at Sirakol in Usti, and the second at Dostipur in Falta — both locations falling under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency. Nadda's car sustained damage and several people were injured in the incidents. Usti police station had arrested several individuals at the time.
Among those present in the convoy during the attack were senior BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, currently serving as West Bengal's Panchayat Affairs and Rural Development Minister, and Sukanta Majumdar, currently the Union Minister of State for Education. The Diamond Harbour constituency is represented by TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
Political Fallout Then and Now
The 2020 attack triggered a sharp political confrontation between the BJP and the TMC. The BJP alleged that the violence was provoked by senior TMC leaders, including the Diamond Harbour MP, a claim the ruling party denied. Both sides traded accusations over the violence and the conduct of police at the scene.
This comes amid continued political tension in West Bengal, where inter-party rivalry between the BJP and the TMC has repeatedly flared into violence over the past several years. The fresh arrests — nearly six years after the incident — are notable both for their timing and for the seniority of the accused within the local TMC hierarchy.
What Happens Next
Police said the investigation remains active, with authorities seeking to determine whether additional suspects were involved and how the seized firearms were obtained. The arrests are expected to renew political scrutiny of the 2020 incident and reignite debate over law enforcement accountability in the state.
Point of View
The timing of law-enforcement action has rarely been free of partisan optics, and this case is unlikely to be viewed differently by either side. What is notable, however, is the seniority of those arrested and the simultaneous recovery of firearms — elevating this beyond a routine procedural follow-up. The original incident remains one of the most symbolically charged episodes of BJP-TMC hostility in the pre-2021 election period, and its re-emergence as a live criminal matter could reopen wounds at a time when Bengal's political temperature is already high.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the two TMC leaders arrested in West Bengal?
Police identified the two arrested individuals as influential TMC leaders from the Magrahat West area under Diamond Harbour subdivision in South 24 Parganas. Authorities have not publicly named them but described them as having a long history of alleged anti-social activities and involvement in local hooliganism with a bike gang.
What was the December 2020 attack on J.P. Nadda's convoy?
On 10 December 2020, the convoy of then BJP national president J.P. Nadda was attacked twice in South 24 Parganas — first at Sirakol in Usti and then at Dostipur in Falta — while he was travelling to a meeting at Diamond Harbour. Nadda's car was damaged and several people were injured; multiple arrests were made at the time.
Why did it take nearly six years for these arrests to be made?
Police have not publicly explained the delay. The investigation apparently continued after the initial arrests in 2020, and authorities say they are still probing the source of the seized firearms and whether additional suspects were involved.
Who else was present during the Nadda convoy attack?
Senior BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, now West Bengal's Panchayat Affairs and Rural Development Minister, and Sukanta Majumdar, now Union Minister of State for Education, were travelling with Nadda when the convoy was attacked on 10 December 2020.
What is the political significance of the Diamond Harbour area?
Diamond Harbour is the Lok Sabha constituency represented by TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Both locations where Nadda's convoy was attacked — Sirakol in Usti and Dostipur in Falta — fall within this constituency, which the BJP cited at the time as evidence of senior TMC complicity in the violence.
