Kolkata, Aug 23 (IANS) A Trinamool Congress leader has been arrested on charges of extortion, beating and collecting a hefty fine from an individual, said the police on Sunday.
The incident took place in Bankura district, West Bengal.
This time, Bipattaran Garai, the former block president of the Trinamool workers’ organisation, was arrested last night. He is accused of taking Rs 20,000 from Karunamoy Pal, a resident of Jemua village in Mejia block of Bankura, in the name of getting him a house under a government housing scheme. Not only that, the leader allegedly beat him up and left his house when he protested against taking the money and later allowed him to stay at the house after paying another Rs 50,000 as a ‘fine’.
Karunamoy recently filed a complaint in this regard at the police station. Based on this, the police arrested the Trinamool leader on Saturday night.
The arrested person was produced before the Bankura District Court on Sunday.
According to police and Bankura District Court sources, the incident took place in January 2021. The complainant said that the then president of INTTUC’s Mejia block, Bipattaran, took money from him on the pretext of providing him a house under a government scheme, as he had influence in the area. Therefore, he was forced to pay the money.
Later, the complainant came to know that the Trinamool leader had taken money from several other people of the village in the same way. He protested against it. As a result, he was beaten up and thrown out of his house. A few days later, the complainant returned to his village with Rs 50,000. In that incident, the police have registered a case of extortion, assault, breach of trust and cheating against the accused leader.
The Trinamool leader, on the way to the court on Sunday, commented, “I have been framed on false charges for political reasons.” The police said that a case was registered against the accused as per the complaint and investigation is underway.
–IANS
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