Ansarul (50), an ex-Army man had been accused in several cases. He had been expelled by the Army after he was held accused in some cases, said a senior police officer.

“We alerted the North and South Dinajpur police about Ansarul as we had a tip-off that he had gone towards North Dinajpur. Today we, alongwith North Dinajpur, jointly raided his shelter at Raiganj and arrested him. We have started interrogation. We have arrested another accused Sheikh Jullu, relative of Ansarul from Malda,” said Bhuban Mondal, Superintendent of Police, Malda.

Ghosh was killed, while on duty, by two sons of Ansarul, whom he had gone to arrest in Uttar Chandpur in Malda on Saturday night. After Ghosh arrested the duo, he was attacked on the head from behind by Ansarul. Ansarul’s family also hurled bombs at the two constables, who were accompanying Ghosh. The constables then fled the spot, said a senior police officer.

Mondal has, meanwhile, ordered a departmental inquiry against Home Guards Subhas Mondol and Ainul Haq and National Volunteer Force (NVF) personnel Angad Sarkar and Nagen Mondol, who had allegedly deserted Ghosh while on duty.

Ghosh had ordered the NVF men to fire, but they did not. They later claimed the rifles did not go off, said a senior police officer pleading anonymity. However, Mondol said that the police had recovered a round of bullet from the spot - which proves that the rifles had been used once.