MLA Paresharam Das has been remanded to police custody until November 17 in a rape case, while civic volunteer Bikash Sahanik, who was detained with him at the airport, has also been arrested in a separate assault case in Canning. A court has ordered Sahanik’s police custody until November 13.
According to the report by Anandabazar, police detained both men at the airport on Monday when Das was allegedly attempting to travel by air to Mumbai. Sahanik was later arrested in connection with a case involving a clash in Canning. Police said he was posted in Canning and was working with the Intelligence Branch.
Investigators are questioning Sahanik over whether he passed confidential information about police movements to Das. Police suspect that such information may have helped the MLA evade earlier attempts to arrest him. Investigators claimed that on several previous occasions, Das had left locations shortly before police teams arrived.
The allegation remains part of the ongoing investigation. Police are seeking to establish whether Sahanik had warned Das about planned operations and whether he had access to information that could have enabled the alleged escapes.
Police said Rs 2 lakh in cash and six mobile phones were recovered from Das at the time of his arrest. The phones are being examined as part of the investigation. The police also told the court that 32 cases had been registered against Das and argued that a reconstruction of events was necessary for the investigation.
Das’s lawyer, Tirthankar Roy, opposed the police custody application and alleged that the elected representative was being targeted for political reasons. Roy claimed that Das, who is associated with the ruling party, had been targeted because he was unwilling to join another political camp. The lawyer also questioned the timing of the rape complaint.
According to the defence, the alleged incident took place in 2023, while the complaint was filed on September 5, 2026. Roy said the complainant had moved to Tamil Nadu but could have filed an online complaint earlier. He also questioned whether a medical examination conducted after such a long gap could establish evidence of sexual assault.
Roy further alleged that police custody could be used to exert political pressure on Das. He told the court that Das had bail in the 32 cases cited by police and sought bail in the present matter as well.
After hearing both sides, the court ordered Das to remain in police custody until November 17. The court also ordered Sahanik’s custody until November 13, allowing investigators to continue questioning him over the Canning case and the suspected disclosure of police information.
