The Municipal Chairman of Egra Municipality in East Midnapore district, affiliated with the Trinamool Congress, has been arrested on corruption allegations, as confirmed by the police. Swapan Kumar Nayak, the chairman, was apprehended in Kolkata for purportedly engaging in illegal leasing of government land and financial misconduct. The arrested chairman is set to appear in court on Saturday, according to the acting Superintendent of Police in East Midnapore.
This arrest follows a recent no-confidence motion initiated by some Trinamool Congress councillors against Swapan Nayak, the Egra Municipality chairman. The situation has stirred political circles, especially since the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, hails from East Midnapore district. The arrest stemmed from a complaint filed by the Block Land Reforms Officer (BLRO) of Egra-I block, highlighting unauthorized land transfers and subsequent revenue losses.
The investigation exposed the illicit activities that led to a substantial depletion of government funds, prompting Nayak’s arrest. The police are now delving into the involvement of other individuals in this case. Despite being instructed by the Trinamool leadership to resign from his post, Nayak persisted, resulting in a no-confidence motion against him by six Trinamool councillors. An incident on the scheduled voting day further escalated tensions, leading to allegations of file tampering and subsequent police involvement.
