Barasat/Kolkata, Feb 17 (PTI) A wanted criminal was arrested today in connection with the murder of 16-year-old Rajib Das by some drunken youths at Barasat town in North 24 Parganas district.

Chandan Roy was arrested from his hideout at Habra in North 24-Parganas district, police said. He had earlier faced arrests on charges of robbery and drug peddling.

West Bengal Home Secretary G D Goutama said the arrested youth was being interrogated by CID and police for stabbing to death Das who had resisted the drunken hoodlums from molesting his sister.

Goutama said after a meeting with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, where the chief secretary and DG were also present, that more people would be arrested soon.

He said reports of the district magistrate and the SP had reached the government.

DIG (Presidency Range) Siddhinath Gupta said, "Roy will be taken to the place, where the crime took place, to reconstruct the murder scene before being produced at the court tomorrow." 
Rajib''s sister Rinku Das, who was present with her brother during the incident, was taken to the police station to identify the accused, a senior police officer said.

A 12-hour bandh called by Opposition SUCI in the area today evoked good response. While Trinamool Congress did not oppose the bandh, Congress threw its support to it.

Seventy-nine Trinamool supporters were arrested for demonstrating in front of the state secretariat demanding Chief Minister Bhattacharjee''s resignation. Later they were released on bail.

In the morning Tourism Minister Manab Mukherjee''s car was held up for some time at Madhyamgram in the district today when a Trinamool Congress procession was passing by, police said.

Faced with a massive public outcry, the state government had yesterday asked the state CID to probe Rajib''s killing.

The chief minister yesterday visited Rajib''s residence and met his parents, sister and grandmother yesterday as the brutal murder quickly took on a political colour with the Congress demanding Bhattacharjee''s resignation.

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy also visited the residence.