Trinamool Congress leader Sabyasachi Dutta was arrested on Tuesday morning from West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on charges of extortion and criminal intimidation, police said.
The former president of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) was arrested over a complaint filed by a businessman who alleged that Dutta was involved in extortion activities, news agency PTI reported.
Police registered an FIR and arrested Dutta from his residence in Raigachi, a senior officer said. He is scheduled to appear in a Bidhannagar court later today, according to ANI.
Dutta joined the BJP in 2019 and returned to the Mamata Banerjee-led party two years later. He unsuccessfully contested the Barazat seat in the 2026 House of Representatives elections.
Dutta’s arrest comes at a time when the party is witnessing a series of high-profile arrests in connection with various cases being investigated by law enforcement agencies.
The arrest also comes after TMC leader Jehangir Khan was arrested near the Indo-Nepal border on Monday in an extortion case. According to police, Khan had allegedly been evading law enforcement agencies for several days amid multiple criminal investigations.
Khan’s arrest marks a major breakthrough for investigators who have been searching for the TMC leader in connection with allegations of extortion, intimidation and other criminal activities. His accomplice Israfil Chakdar, gram panchayat president, was also arrested in connection with allegations of extortion and intimidation.
TMC leader Tilak Kumar Chakraborty has also been arrested in connection with the alleged job fraud case in Haldia, located in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district, according to ANI.
In a separate case, Kolkata Police arrested Paritosh Dutta from Bardhaman in connection with a weapons case linked to Surendranath College, ANI reported, citing Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma.
PTI also reported that panchayat official and TMC leader Rajib Banerjee has been arrested from Birbhum in connection with the alleged paddy ration sale case.
TMC faces a dramatic split
These developments come amid a major division in the Transitional Military Council’s legislative party. On Monday, veteran Trinamool Congress leader Sukhendu Sekhar Rai resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the party’s primary membership citing “unbridled corruption” and “chaotic governance” of the party.
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He said his break with the TMC effectively ended the day he demanded an internal probe into the role of police officers in the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case, adding that he had become “increasingly isolated” within the party since he spoke out on the issue.
“My only mistake was that I called for an internal investigation against some police officers because I thought they had a major role in destroying evidence,” Rai told reporters in New Delhi. “That was the turning point. I realized that I would not stay in the party for long,” he said.
The party also witnessed a major disintegration, after 58 of the 80 MLAs supported and elected ousted TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly.
In its latest setback, at least 14 TMC MLAs met in Delhi and discussed secession in the presence of Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. This was happening at the same time that TMC chief Mamata Banerjee was attending a major meeting of the India bloc 3 km away.
