Humayun Kabir detained in Rejinagar after row with police on bypoll day

Murshidabad, October 6: Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir was taken into police custody on Tuesday following a heated exchange with officers at his party office in Rejinagar, as voting for the Assembly bypoll continued.

Kabir had criticised the police from the start of polling over the security deployment near his home and at booths. Heading to vote, he said a large force had been stationed outside his residence. He was detained soon after casting his vote with his family, having continued to allege that the police were being used to scare voters.

Police arrived at the AJUP office after his repeated remarks against the force. The argument escalated into a scuffle, in which Kabir accused the personnel of "dalali", or partisanship. Officers then pulled him by his shirt and led him to a police vehicle.

The Rejinagar seat in Murshidabad district fell vacant after Kabir, who won both Rejinagar and Nowda in the 2026 Assembly election, chose to keep Nowda. The AJUP has fielded his son, Golam Nabi Azad.

Other contestants include the BJP's Sakharav Sarkar, a former Murshidabad district president; Rabiul Alam Chowdhury of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress; Safiuzzaman Sheikh of a rival TMC faction; the Congress's Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi; and the CPI(M)'s Syed Asad Ali. Polling for the Nandigram Assembly seat was also under way.