The Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s legal troubles continued to escalate on Wednesday as the state police arrested former Bangladesh minister Udayan Guha and registered two new corruption cases against TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The two fresh FIRs were lodged against Abhishek based on complaints by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Abhijit Das, who unsuccessfully contested from the Diamond Harbor Lok Sabha seat in 2014 and 2024.
Guha, who was arrested from his home on Wednesday morning and placed under arrest, is the fourth former TMC minister to be arrested after the Suvendu Adhikari-led government came to power. Earlier, the police and Enforcement Directorate arrested Sujit Bose, Ajwal Biswas and Dilip Mondal on charges of cheating, extortion and threatening people.
“Guha was arrested from Kolkata by officers from Dinhata police station in connection with a cheating case. He has been brought to Cooch Behar for further investigation,” a senior police officer from Cooch Behar said.
Guha did not respond to questions while being taken to Cooch Behar.
A Dinhata-based businessman has filed a complaint against Guha, alleging that the former North Bengal Development Minister collected money from several people to set up a neonatal facility at a sub-hospital. The money was allegedly never used.
“student $50,000 from me. After some negotiations, the amount was reduced to $25000. But I got a receipt $10,000 only. “I was also threatened when I asked for a receipt for the full amount I paid,” said Rupam Saha, the complainant, in Dinhatta.
Meanwhile, the two FIRs registered against Abhishek relate to alleged cheating of relief funds after Cyclone Amphan in May 2020 and alleged illegal sale of soil extracted from government land. One of the cases, registered at the Kalitala-Asoti police station, relates to alleged illegal excavation of soil from government land near Joka on the southwestern outskirts of Kolkata. The second case was registered at Bishnupur police station in connection with alleged misappropriation of relief funds.
Banerjee was questioned by the State Police Criminal Investigation Department on June 14 and 16 in connection with two separate cases related to alleged inflammatory speeches and an alleged signature forgery case. On June 15, he was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate regarding alleged irregularities in the appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run schools.
While Abhishek could not be contacted, there was no response from TMC as well till around 5 pm.
