West Bengal: Trinamool Leader Arrested Amid Extortion Allegations

Kolkata, August 16: Shyamal Mitra, a former member of the Mayor-in-Council of the Howrah Municipal Corporation and a leader of the Trinamool Congress, has been arrested by police in the New Town area of Kolkata.

The police reported on Saturday that Mitra, a close associate of former state minister Arup Roy, faces multiple charges, including extortion, intimidation, and assault. As he was being transported from Shibpur police station to Howrah court, a group of individuals threw eggs at him. Reports suggest that he was also assaulted in front of the police.

According to police, on May 4, following the announcement of assembly election results, a police team led by Sub-Inspector Pappu Yadav halted a procession heading towards Howrah Maidan. The police claimed that the procession included 400 to 500 people, all waving Trinamool flags and marching without administrative permission.

The police warned the participants that they were violating the election code of conduct. However, the group continued and allegedly became aggressive, attacking the police, resulting in injuries to several officers, including the Sub-Inspector. Some individuals required hospitalization. A case was registered against Shyamal Mitra at Shibpur police station.

Shubhajit Chattopadhyay, a complainant from Shibpur police station, filed a written complaint alleging that on the night of April 10, while he was meeting with BJP workers in front of the party office in Howrah’s Mandirtala, Mitra and his associates attacked him.

Chattopadhyay claimed that Mitra threatened him with a gun, demanded 150,000 rupees, and seized his belongings. When he refused, Mitra allegedly struck him on the head with the gun’s butt. At that time, he had 1,030 rupees, which Mitra reportedly took by threatening his life.

The arrested Trinamool leader was presented in court on Saturday, where a crowd began throwing eggs at him. Allegations also surfaced that he was assaulted. Police successfully transported him to court, preventing the situation from escalating further.