Kolkata, New Delhi, INDIA. New York, USA.
Business To Business, Kolkata, 30th June, 2026: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shakir Ali in connection with its investigation into the violence that erupted during Ram Navami rallies across West Bengal in March and April 2023, police said.
Ali, the husband of former two-time TMC MP Aparupa Poddar, was taken into custody from his residence in Rishra after an NIA team, assisted by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, conducted a search operation on Tuesday morning.
According to police, Ali was arrested after investigators allegedly found inconsistencies in his responses during a nearly five-hour examination conducted by NIA officers during the raid.
Shakir Ali has served twice as a councillor from Ward No. 4 of the Rishra Municipality. His wife, Aparupa Poddar, is a former two-term TMC Member of Parliament from the Arambagh constituency in Hooghly district.
The NIA is investigating the 2023 Ram Navami violence, which witnessed clashes in several parts of West Bengal during religious processions.