Saokat Molla arrested by NIA over Bhangar blast before polls
Saokat Molla, who used to be a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency in connection with a bomb blast in Bhangar ahead of the West Bengal elections.
He recently lost the Bhangar election to ISF's Naushad Siddiqui and became the subject of a viral satirical song called Machh Chor, which ISF supporters are said to have made, but they deny it.
Saokat Molla's rise, West Bengal controversies
Molla, who began as a fish trader and later became associated with CPI(M), switched to TMC in 2011, quickly rising through the ranks.
Over the years, he has been linked to political violence during the 2018 panchayat polls and even faced a CBI summon in a coal theft case.
His arrest is sparking fresh conversations about political corruption in West Bengal and puts extra pressure on TMC as questions grow about its members' actions.