After Mamata’s prod, Salt Lake councillor arrested for extortion

Anindya Chattopadhyay, a Trinamool Congress councillor of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) was on Tuesday arrested by the Bidhannagar police for allegedly trying to extort Rs 12 lakh from a businessman who had undertaken renovation work at his residence in BD block in Salt Lake.

 It is understood that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked the police to take action against the accused sending out a strong message that anybody indulging in malpractices would not be spared. Following the CM’s order senior officials of the Bidhannagar commissionerate on Tuesday arrested Chattopadhyay. 

Chatterjee was booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt in order to commit extortion). He was produced before a court which rejected his bail plea and remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days.

 The businessman, Santosh Kumar Lodh who was carrying out renovation work at his residential building at BD block in Salt Lake was threatened by the accused with dire consequences if he did not cough up a hefty amount of Rs 12 lakh. Lodh, a distant relative of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had fallen ill following the threats from Chattopadhyay. He wrote to Trinamool Congress MP, Sudip Bandyopadhyay providing  details on how the accused had demanded a bribe for granting him permission to undertake extension work at his Salt Lake residence.

 Chattopadhyay on Tuesday was asked to appear before the Bidhannagar North Police station in this connection. Following his interrogation, the police arrested him on the charges of demanding extortion. Lodh’s daughter Suchorita Lodh on Tuesday met Bidhannagar police commissioner Gyanwant Singh at his office after he assured her of full cooperation.

 Lodh’s family is not the first to bring such allegations against Chattopadhyay. Another resident of Salt Lake Arunabha Mukherjee had written to the Chief Minister alleging that Chattopadhyay had sent “some anti-social elements on April 5-6 who asked him to stop soil testing at his house since they had not obtained his (Chattopadhyay’s) permission. On April 7, Chattopadhyay came to their premises himself and stopped the work”.

 DC DD of Bidhannagar Police station, Santosh Pandey said: “On the basis of the complaint lodged by the businessman Lodh we have arrested the councilor of ward number 41. An investigation is on.”

When asked about the incident, Sabyasachi Dutta, Bidhannagar Mayor said: “Nobody is above the law. The law will take its own course.”