Saokat Molla

Saokat Molla
Saokat Molla in March 2023
Member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly
In office
2016–2026
Preceded byAbdur Razzak Molla
Succeeded byMd. Baharul Islam
ConstituencyCanning Purba
Personal details
PartyAll India Trinamool Congress
ProfessionGangster, Politician

Saokat Molla is an Indian gangster and member of the All India Trinamool Congress. He was an MLA, elected from the Canning Purba constituency in the 2016 West Bengal state assembly election. In the 2021 assembly election he was re-elected from the same constituency.

Controversy

Prior to the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election a song Saokat toh Mach Chor (Saokat is fish thief) became viral on social media. Molla alleged that the song was created by the Indian Secular Front. He told the media that he will move for legal action against such the political campaign.

Arrest by the NIA

On 5 June 2026, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Molla at a hideout in Kamalgachi, near Kolkata, naming him a key conspirator in the Bhangar blast case.[clarification needed] The federal agency had taken over the probe into the 19 March 2026 explosion in South 24 Parganas, which killed one person and injured three others. After conducting extensive searches across multiple properties linked to Molla and declaring him an absconder, the NIA apprehended him amid indications that he was attempting to evade arrest and potentially cross the border into Bangladesh. According to the NIA, the former Canning Purba legislator not only directed the manufacture of the explosives but also instructed co-conspirators to tamper with and destroy evidence at the scene of the explosion.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sengupta, Senjuti (5 June 2026). "NIA arrests ex-TMC MLA in blast case". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "West Bengal Assembly Election Candidate Saokat Molla". NDTV. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  3. ↑ "Saokat Molla Election Affidavit". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  4. ↑ "Canning Purba Assembly Constituency". Business Standard. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  5. ↑ "Saokat Molla is a TMC candidate from Canning Purba constituency in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections". News18. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "Canning Purba, West Bengal Assembly election result 2021". India Today. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  7. ↑ "Saokat Molla - केनिंग पूर्व विधानसभा चुनाव 2021 परिणाम". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "ক্যানিং পূর্বে ৫২,০০০ ভোটে জিতেছেন বিদায়ী বিধায়ক সওকত মোল্লা". Hindustan Times (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  9. ↑ "Mach Chor Song: 'শওকত মাছ চোর' গানে পাগল সোশ্যাল মিডিয়া! কীভাবে বানানো? মুখ খুললেন বিদায়ী বিধায়ক | Mach Chor Song Targets Saokat Molla Goes Viral | India Hood |". 1 May 2026. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  10. ↑ Bangla, TV9 (1 May 2026). "Machh Chor Song Shaukat Molla:'সত্যি কথা তো হিট হবেই', কেন 'মাছ চোর' শওকত? এই গানের নেপথ্যে লুকিয়ে কোন 'সত্যি'? গানের ইতিহাস বলে দিলেন কাইজার". TV9 Bangla (in Bengali). Retrieved 2 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "'মাছ চোর' গান নিয়ে মুখ খুললেন শওকত, নাম না করে নওশাদকে একহাত নিলেন তৃণমূল প্রার্থী". sangbadpratidin (in Bengali). Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Bhangar blast prime suspect, former TMC MLA Saokot Molla, produced before NIA court". ANI via Reuters Connect. 6 June 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.