Kolkata, July 27: Two more persons have been nabbed in connection with the violence and attacks on police personnel and journalists during the July 24 protest rally in Kolkata against the NEET examination paper leak and other exam scandals, taking the total number of arrests to 16, officials said on Monday.

Earlier, from Saturday evening till Sunday afternoon, 14 persons were arrested after being identified through CCTV footage and video recordings of the violence.

The two persons arrested on Monday morning have been identified as Waqar Azam (35), a resident of Karaya Area at Park Circus in South-East Kolkata, and Zaved Akhtar (32), a resident of Garden Reach area in the southern outskirts of Kolkata.

Both will be presented at a lower court in Kolkata later in the day, and the public prosecutor will seek their police custody.

They will all be tried under the newly enacted West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026, which provides for stricter measures against anti-social and violent activities, as was already announced by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari last week.

Tension broke out at the joint rally organised by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and some students and youth organisations against NEET examination paper leak on July 24 afternoon, as a section of the protesters hurled glass bottles, stones, bricks, bamboo sticks and shoes at the police personnel.

Some of the media persons covering the incident also suffered injuries after being hit by the things hurled by a section of the protesters. Some of the media personnel had to be hospitalised.

On Sunday afternoon, the Chief Minister said that none of the 14 persons arrested till that time in this connection was a student.

He also said that all those arrested after being identified as perpetrators through CCTV footage and videos were actually fundamentalists whose main intention on Friday was to create a major disturbance in the city, posing as student activists after assembling at the protest rally.

“Their only aim was to disturb the peace in the state and the country. All of them will be dealt with under the newly enacted West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026,” the Chief Minister said while speaking to the media persons on Sunday afternoon.

Kolkata, July 27: In a heinous case involving a senior citizen, the police have detained a man for sexually assaulting an elderly woman in Joynagar area of South 24 Parganas district, said the police on Monday. The victim was first taken to a local hospital. Later, she was admitted to the Baruipur Sub district Hospital for advanced treatment. The police have started questioning the accused person.

Baruipur Police District Superintendent Arvind Kumar Anand said that action was taken immediately after receiving the complaint.

“The investigators have detained a suspect and interrogating him. All aspects are being investigated. If evidence of anyone else’s involvement in this incident is found, legal action will also be taken against them,” said the officer.

It is learned that the old woman had gone to get vegetables from a banana plantation behind her house on Sunday evening.

It is alleged that the accused sexually assaulted her after finding her alone in a secluded place. When the victim started screaming, the nearby residents rushed to the spot. However, it is alleged that the accused fled the spot before they arrived. The old woman could not be found then.

Local resident Basana Das told local media persons that the family members became worried when the old woman did not return home after evening.

Later, her son-in-law returned home and started searching for her. He found the old woman lying unconscious in the banana plantation behind the house and rescued her.

She was then rushed to the local hospital. Later, on the advice of doctors, she was shifted to the Baruipur Sub district Hospital.

The police said that the victim’s statement has been recorded. The investigation has been started on the basis of a confidential statement. A youth has been detained on suspicion in the initial investigation. He is being questioned in phases.

The investigators are probing whether any other person was involved in the incident.

There is an atmosphere of anger and anxiety in the area over the heinous incident. Local residents demanded stringent punishment for those who are involved in the incident.

New Delhi, July 27: Delhi Police on Monday arrested an active snatcher within hours of a mobile phone snatching incident in the Madhu Vihar area. With the arrest of accused, police claimed to have cracked four criminal cases, recovering a snatched mobile phone, a scooty used in the commission of the offence, and two additional stolen mobile phones linked to separate theft cases.

The accused has been identified as Upender alias Piyush (22), a resident of West Vinod Nagar, Delhi. Police said swift action based on credible secret information led to his arrest, while efforts are continuing to trace and apprehend his absconding associate.

According to Delhi Police, the incident came to light on July 25 after a PCR call regarding the snatching of a mobile phone was received at Police Station Madhu Vihar. The inquiry was assigned to Sub-Inspector Mahipal Singh.

During the investigation, complainant Ayush Das informed the police that at around 12 noon, while travelling towards Ghazipur, he was passing the DCP Cut near Utsav Ground in IP Extension when two unidentified men riding a blue scooty approached him. The pillion rider allegedly snatched his blue mobile phone before the duo fled towards the East District DCP Office.

Based on the complainant’s statement, FIR No. 293/2026 was registered at Police Station Madhu Vihar under Sections 304(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and an investigation was launched.

The police team began an intensive search operation, analysed available leads and developed credible intelligence regarding the accused’s movements. Acting on the secret information, the police laid a trap near Utsav Ground, IP Extension, at around 9.20 p.m. on the same day and successfully apprehended Upender.

During his arrest, police recovered the snatched mobile phone belonging to the complainant. The blue scooty allegedly used in the crime was also seized. Verification through the vehicle’s chassis number revealed that it had been reported stolen in e-FIR No. 17144/2026 registered at Police Station Pandav Nagar.

A further search of the scooter led to the recovery of two additional stolen mobile phones — a handset and another phone. Police said these devices were linked to separate e-FIRs, numbered 80115470/2025 and 80011811/2026, registered at Police Station PIA.

With these recoveries, Delhi Police said it had successfully solved four criminal cases, including the present mobile phone snatching case.

During sustained interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed that he had committed the snatching along with an associate. Acting on his disclosure, police conducted a raid at the co-accused’s residence. However, he was found absconding. Police said continuous efforts are underway to trace and arrest him.

The accused has been formally arrested, and all recovered property has been seized in accordance with legal procedures. He is being produced before the competent court, while further investigation is underway.

During questioning, the accused also disclosed that he had become addicted to drugs and had started committing property-related offences to finance his addiction.