Fugitive Arrested in West Bengal Post-Poll Violence Rape Case

The CBI has arrested Usman Ali, a fugitive accused in a 2021 rape case linked to West Bengal assembly elections violence. Ali was captured in Ghaziabad after failing to appear in court, resulting in a non-bailable warrant. The case remains under judicial proceedings.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced on Wednesday the arrest of Usman Ali, a fugitive linked to a rape case from the post-West Bengal assembly polls violence in 2021.

Ali, who had been absconding, was apprehended near a mosque in Ghaziabad on Tuesday. The CBI registered the case on August 30, 2021, alleging Ali's involvement in a crime committed on May 4, 2021. The investigation led to a chargesheet filed on May 5, 2022, in a special court in Tamluk.

Despite being granted bail by the Calcutta High Court in 2024, the CBI challenged this with a special leave petition in the Supreme Court. As Ali failed to appear in court, a non-bailable warrant was issued on August 2, 2025. He is scheduled to be presented before the Supreme Court shortly.

(With inputs from agencies.)