BJP local leaders held with arms

Two local leaders and as many workers of the BJP were arrested with arms and ammunition from Purba Barddhaman district, police said on Wednesday.

They were allegedly carrying a country-made gun, three bullets, four bombs, a sword, a bow and a number of arrows in a car which was parked by the side of a road in Jamalpur area on Tuesday night, police said.

The four were remanded to police custody by a local court where their counsel claimed that they were implicated in a false case.

The arrested four included Asish Das and Mahadeb Soren, president and secretary of two 'mandals' (local units) of the party in neighbouring Hooghly district.

Police alleged that they were waiting by the roadside with the intention to rob cars. Two others who were also in the car had managed to escape.

When produced before a court on Wednesday, they were remanded to four day's police custody.

Their lawyers submitted before the judge that they were guarding an under-construction building which will house a party office, and were going to have food at the time of the arrest.

The police implicated them in a false case, they claimed.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday instructed the police o beef up checking of vehicles across the state to stop the supply of arms and drugs.