Regina Bibi, the wife of TMC leader Jahangir Khan, was arrested on Saturday for her alleged role in orchestrating the attack on the Falta police station earlier this month and attempting to secure her husband's release from police custody, officials said.
Bibi, who had been absconding since the violence, was apprehended from the Julpia area of South 24 Parganas district following a tip-off. Police alleged that she played a central role in mobilising supporters and planning the agitation linked to Khan's arrest in multiple criminal cases.
"She was one of the principal conspirators behind the mobilisation of people and the subsequent attack on the police station. Several serious charges, including provisions of the Arms Act and Explosives Act, have been invoked against her," a senior police officer said.
According to investigators, a meeting was held under Bibi's leadership a day before the violence, during which plans were made to gather supporters around 3 km from the police station and march towards the facility in a coordinated manner. Police claimed the objective was to forcibly free Khan from custody.
The protest later turned violent, with demonstrators allegedly vandalising police vehicles and attempting to storm the police station premises. Central forces were deployed to bring the situation under control and disperse the crowd.
Police sources said several participants fled after security personnel launched a baton charge, while some allegedly jumped into a nearby pond to avoid arrest. So far, 25 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Khan, who projected himself as 'Pushpa' — a reference to the protagonist of the popular Telugu film franchise — during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election campaign, had claimed he would never "bow down" under pressure.
Following the Trinamool Congress' heavy defeat in the assembly elections, the Election Commission ordered a re-election in Falta. Khan later withdrew from the contest, and the seat was eventually won by a BJP candidate by a comfortable margin. Khan finished fourth.
His arrest earlier this month sparked controversy after police paraded him through parts of Falta wearing shorts and with a rope tied around his waist. The episode drew criticism from his supporters and fuelled protests that were allegedly led by Bibi.
The arrest comes amid the BJP government's intensified action against alleged criminal networks and political strongmen following its victory in the May assembly elections.
Addressing a public outreach programme in Falta on Wednesday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari warned that the government would not tolerate "hooliganism or militancy" and directed police to take stringent legal action against those involved in the attack on the police station.
Police said Bibi would be produced before a court and questioned further to determine whether any larger criminal or political network was involved in mobilising supporters and the alleged attempt to free Khan from custody.
