Police on Tuesday arrested Nazrul Molla, one of the eight named in the FIR in connection with the alleged staged accident conspiracy on December 10 aimed at killing Bholanath Ghosh, a key witness in multiple CBI cases against former Trinamool Congress strongman Sheikh Shahjahan.

The incident occurred on Basanti Highway when a cargo truck suddenly switched lanes and dashed against the car in which Ghosh was going to a Basirhat court for a hearing in a case against Shahjahan, claiming the life of his son and his driver.

Ghosh, a crucial witness in several CBI investigations related to alleged land grab and violence on the now-jailed Shahjahan’s former turf Sandeshkhali, was injured.

It triggered a probe into what police suspect may have been a carefully planned attempt to eliminate Ghosh.

Nazrul Molla, 32, of Hamidpur under Jibantala police station in South 24-Parganas, is the first person to be arrested among the accused named in Ghosh’s FIR, Shahjahan apart.

With Nazrul’s arrest, the number of those in custody has risen to four, all reportedly close to Shahjahan.

Cops said Nazrul played a critical role in helping the suspected driver of the killer truck escape.

Nazrul allegedly was waiting near the crash site on a motorcycle on which he sprinted away the truck driver, Alim Molla.

Alim remains absconding. The police are searching for him.

The arrest has added momentum to the theory that the crash was part of a larger murder conspiracy.

However, senior police officers have so far refrained from making an official declaration.

Grieving the death of his son Satyajit, Ghosh told investigators that the crash was not accidental but a planned attempt to eliminate him ahead of court proceedings.

He lodged a complaint of attempted murder against eight persons, including Shahjahan and Nazrul, at the Rajbari outpost of Najat police station in Basirhat.

Nazrul was arrested from Malancha area under Minakhan police station.

Ghosh alleged: “After the accident, it was Nazrul who seated truck driver Alim on the pillion of his motorcycle and fled with him.”

Cops are now interrogating Nazrul to reconstruct the sequence of events and track down missing truck driver Alim, whose family claimed he was too ill to drive any vehicle.

Another accused named in the FIR, Shahjahan’s brother-in-law Sabir Ali Molla, is absconding since the accident.

Ghosh alleged that the attack on him was planned at Sabir Ali’s residence, barely 1km from the crash site.

In his statement, Ghosh had alleged that the “entire operation was planned by Trinamool’s arrested strongman Sheikh Shahjahan,” and the attack “was executed through his wife Taslima Biwi”.