Two Trinamool Congress leaders, including a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) councillor and a former MLA, were arrested for alleged extortion and corruption. The sitting councillor, Bappaditya Dasgupta from ward number 101 of KMC, was taken into custody by Patuli police station officers on extortion charges. Following his arrest, an angry crowd gathered at the police station, chanting ‘thief’ slogans.
Dasgupta, who was previously a BJP member, switched to Trinamool Congress in 2010 with the support of former state Minister Partha Chatterjee. He became a councillor in 2015 and later the Chief Whip of Trinamool councillors at KMC after winning the 2021 municipal elections. Allegations suggest that individuals associated with Dasgupta vandalized homes of BJP members post the 2021 state Assembly elections.
Apart from Dasgupta, other Trinamool leaders were accused of involvement in post-poll violence, as claimed by BJP leaders. Dasgupta also faces accusations of accepting bribes from locals for construction projects. In a separate incident, Sujoy Hazra, a former Trinamool MLA from Medinipur Assembly constituency, was apprehended at a railway station in West Midnapore district while attempting to flee. Hazra, who had been evading authorities since May 4, faced charges including land grabbing and extortion.
District Superintendent of Police, Papiya Sultana, mentioned that Hazra had been under police surveillance for some time due to various allegations against him. Hazra was arrested at Kharagpur railway station and taken for investigation at Salbani police station. The investigation remains ongoing, with no further details disclosed at present.
