Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand has rejected allegations that a woman tried to attack former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee with a knife outside her Kalighat residence, saying the complaint had “no substance or truth”. The woman, identified as a civic volunteer, was arrested after the incident on Tuesday evening.
The incident took place as Banerjee was on her way to inaugurate the Durga Puja at Milan Sangha, near her residence in Kalighat. According to the complaint lodged by Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen, the woman approached Banerjee aggressively and attempted to attack her with a knife. The complaint also raised concerns about the security arrangements for Banerjee, who has Z-plus protection.
Speaking to PTI Videos on Wednesday, Nand said the incident was not an attack. “This is not an attack. She went there to meet her, but it appeared otherwise to the supporters,” the police commissioner said.
Nand said the woman knew Banerjee and that her father also knew the former chief minister. He said police personnel present at the location apprehended her and understood the circumstances after taking her into custody.
“The woman has been arrested. Police personnel present at the spot apprehended her, and the entire matter was understood thereafter. There is no substance or truth in the complaint,” Nand said.
The police commissioner’s statement disputes the account contained in the complaint, which described the approach as aggressive and alleged an attempted knife attack. The available report does not provide further details about the alleged knife, the woman’s identity, the precise security deployment at the location or the sections of law invoked in the case.
The episode has placed attention on access control around the residence and movements of a senior political leader protected under the Z-plus security category. It also highlights the role of police personnel stationed at the spot in responding to incidents involving protected persons in crowded neighbourhood settings.
The woman was taken into custody at the scene, according to the police commissioner. No further action or investigation timeline was specified in the statement reported by PTI. The immediate next step is the police process arising from the arrest and the complaint lodged by Sen.
