Kolkata: West Bengal Police on Tuesday, November 10, arrested Bikash Sahani, a civic volunteer attached to the Intelligence Branch (IB), for allegedly leaking confidential police intelligence to Trinamool Congress MLA Paresh Ram Das and helping him evade arrest, according to IANS and NationPress reports. Investigators allege Sahani passed real-time operational updates to the legislator during his 17 days on the run.

The arrest is a direct follow-up to the development Awaaz Punjab reported on Monday: Das, the MLA from Canning (Paschim) in South 24 Parganas, was arrested by the Special Operations Group of Baruipur Police District at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata on Monday evening, reportedly while trying to board a flight to Mumbai. Police said 11 high-end mobile phones and Rs 2 lakh in cash were seized from him at the airport, according to IANS.

Das was produced before a district court on Tuesday afternoon, where the public prosecutor sought his police custody for interrogation, the reports said. He is the prime accused in Canning Police Station Case No. 561/2026, registered on September 5, 2026, under Indian Penal Code sections including 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 506 (criminal intimidation). The complaint relates to an incident alleged to date back to 2023, including an allegation that Rs 4 lakh was demanded ahead of the 2023 panchayat elections. All of these are allegations; Das has not been convicted, and the case is under investigation.

Police said Sahani, whose IB posting gave him access to sensitive information across multiple police stations, is being questioned intensively, and investigators are examining whether anyone else inside the police apparatus was involved. Further arrests have not been ruled out, according to the reports.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari commented sharply on Das's arrest, remarks reported by the agencies; the Trinamool Congress legislator's own response to the allegations was not reported in the sources consulted. What happens next depends on the court's custody decision for Das and on how far the leak investigation inside the Intelligence Branch extends.