Kolkata, May 26 (IANS) Two Trinamool Congress leaders have been arrested in two separate districts of West Bengal on charges of corruption, the police said on Tuesday.
The police have arrested the Chairman of Baduria municipality, Dipankar Bhattacharya in Baduria of North 24 Parganas district. Nearly Rs 80 lakh and several bundles of tarpaulins bought with government funds were recovered from him.
Meanwhile, large amount of government goods were also recovered from the house of Trinamool regional President Gautam Aari in Patharpratima of South 24 Parganas district. He was also arrested by the police.
According to the police, allegations of corruption had been raised against the Chairman of Baduria municipality for a long time.
Dipankar was absent from the municipality for a few days.
Based on information received from confidential sources, the police of Baduria Police Station arrested him on Monday night.
Earlier, the police had recovered about 4,000 government tarpaulins from a Trinamool office and a garden house owned by the Trinamool leader.
Two separate complaints were filed against the Chairman of the Baduria municipality at the police station, of which one was filed by the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the other by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Acting on such complaints, Dipankar was arrested by the police and 80 lakh rupees in cash seized from him.
According to a police source, Dipankar had hidden himself in a hotel.
Two bags full of clothes were found with him along with medicines.
After looking at the Trinamool leader’s belongings, the police suspect that Dipankar had planned to hide himself for a long time.
He is being produced before the Basirhat Subdistrict Court on Tuesday.
On the other hand, the recovery of government relief materials from the house of Trinamool regional president Gautam Aari in Durbachti gram panchayat of Patharpratima has created a stir in the area.
The BJP and a section of locals have alleged that Gautam had hidden government relief and various project materials in the house’s storage room for a long time.
The house of the Trinamool public representative was surrounded and protests were held throughout Monday night.
On receiving the information, officials from the Patharpratima police station and the block development officer went to the spot.
In the presence of the administration, the house was opened and various government materials including blankets, tarpaulins, mats, fish food were recovered.
The Sundarban Development Board has filed a complaint with the police station. Based on this, the police have arrested the Trinamool regional President.
–IANS
sch/khz