The police arrested Akash Banerjee, who claimed himself to be the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and two others on the charge of slapping a traffic sergeant on duty at Kidderpore in the southern part of the city today.
Though the police refused to confirm whether Akash Banerjee was really the nephew of the chief minister as claimed, eyewitnesses said that the man shouted at the police saying he is the chief minister’s nephew when his car was stopped for violating traffic rules in the morning rush hour.
Police sources said that the man hurled abuses at the police sergeant who intercepted the car for violating traffic rules near the Vidyasagar setu.
The traffic guard posted at the Vidyasagar setu said that the main accused slapped the traffic sergeant and jostled with constables who rushed in.
“The man was shouting and hurling abuses at the police,” the sources said.
He was arrested along with two of his friends travelling in the car on the charge of obstructing a government employee on duty and slapping a traffic sergeant.
The car was impounded.
Top police officers were not available for confirmation of if the main accused was the newphew of the chief minister.
—PTI