Police arrested motorcycle showroom owner Rakibul Islam after suspected explosives and banned chemicals were recovered from a car on Jessore Road in Duttapukur, north of Kolkata, on Wednesday night. The recovery prompted a search operation involving the National Investigation Agency, the National Security Guard, forensic experts, the Special Task Force and Barasat District police.
A senior officer of the Barasat District police said the materials were found in a car travelling along Jessore Road and that investigators were examining whether they were intended for subversive activities. The officer said the car owner had been arrested and was being questioned.
According to police sources cited in the report, the STF had received prior intelligence about suspicious materials inside a vehicle parked in the Tetultala area of Duttapukur. The team monitored the vehicle before intercepting it on Wednesday night. Local sources said the car had remained parked beside the Road King showroom on Tetultala Road for two days.
The recovered items reportedly included explosive-like substances, banned chemicals and iron mesh rods. Their exact nature and potency have not yet been established. Forensic examination will determine whether the substances are explosive and assess the risks associated with the material.
Investigators are also examining the possible movement of the consignment. Police suspect that the materials may have been intended for transport to Kolkata, but the destination and purpose remain unclear. Officers are trying to establish where the materials came from, who may have instructed Islam to carry them and whether other people were involved.
Barasat Police District Superintendent J. Mercy said the investigation was underway and that the nature of the suspected explosives was being examined. She confirmed that the accused had been arrested and said further details would be provided as the investigation progressed.
The operation brought several agencies to a roadside location in Duttapukur, highlighting the security and emergency-management implications of suspected hazardous material being moved through a densely used urban corridor. Jessore Road connects settlements in the northern outskirts of Kolkata and carries local, commercial and inter-district traffic. The report does not provide details of any traffic restrictions, evacuation measures or injuries following the recovery.
The investigation is also examining Islam’s business history. He reportedly left a car-repair business about a decade ago and later opened a motorcycle showroom. He currently operates four showrooms in areas including Tetultala and Bira in Duttapukur and Berachampa in Deganga. Police are checking whether an explosion reported several years ago at a motorcycle showroom in Amdanga, reportedly owned by Islam, has any connection with the latest recovery.
The agencies involved have not yet publicly established the identity, composition or intended use of the recovered materials. Further forensic examination and questioning are expected to determine whether the substances were capable of causing an explosion and whether the case has links beyond the vehicle intercepted in Duttapukur.
