A suspected chemical recovery from a car parked near Duttapukur market in North 24 Parganas triggered a major security response on October 22, with Bengal STF, the bomb squad, NSG and NIA officials reaching the site and police detaining local businessman Rakibul Sheikh for questioning.
The incident began after a white car remained parked for several hours beside Jessore Road near the Tentultala area, close to Duttapukur market. Local residents alerted police at night after the vehicle had reportedly been left there since the previous afternoon. Officers from the local police station then searched the car and recovered a large quantity of material described in the report as suspicious chemicals.
Investigators initially feared that the material could be explosive. The area was subsequently cordoned off, and senior officials from the Barasat district police and the Special Task Force were sent to the location. A bomb disposal squad was called in, while central forces were deployed around the site as a precaution.
National Security Guard and National Investigation Agency officials also arrived during the night as authorities assessed the nature of the recovery. The response involved multiple agencies because the material was initially treated as a possible public-safety threat in a densely used area near a market and a major road.
According to the Bengal STF, the vehicle belongs to Rakibul Sheikh, who operates four car showrooms. The report identifies the businesses as being located in Bira, Tentultala in Duttapukur, Dighar Mor and Berachampa in Deganga. The vehicle had reportedly been parked outside the Tentultala showroom, and Sheikh regularly used it for travel.
Police detained Sheikh as part of the investigation. The report does not state that he has been arrested or charged, and the purpose of the recovered material has not been established. The authorities are investigating the circumstances in which the vehicle was left near the market and the source and intended use of the chemicals.
The Bengal STF has also indicated that its preliminary assessment suggests the recovered substance may not be a powerful chemical. That assessment is not final. Officials said the material’s precise nature would be known only after forensic examination.
The immediate next step is the forensic analysis of the recovered substance, while the police and security agencies continue examining the vehicle, its ownership and the circumstances surrounding its presence near Jessore Road.
