Missing TMC councillor Sushanta Ghosh remains untraceable; driver arrested near Odisha border

Former Borough 12 chairman and Trinamool Congress councillor Sushanta Ghosh has reportedly gone missing amid multiple allegations against him, while police have arrested his driver near the Belda–Odisha border. Repeated attempts to contact Ghosh have reportedly failed, with his mobile phone remaining switched off.

According to the allegations, a group of hawkers and traders lodged written complaints against Ghosh and several of his associates, accusing them of collecting large sums of money in exchange for market stalls and shop allotments. The complaints were submitted to Anandapur Police Station in east Kolkata.

Police sources said that at least 130 members of a hawkers’ committee filed complaints alleging that Ghosh and seven associates collected nearly ₹3 crore over the past few years. The complainants also alleged that newly constructed shops in the market were sold for around ₹6 lakh each and that substantial amounts were collected through the allocation of shop spaces.

According to the complaints, several tin-roofed and shutter-equipped shops were constructed between 2022 and 2023. Traders alleged that they were informed that a select group would determine shop allotments and that payments varied depending on the size of the shop being allocated.

The traders have demanded a detailed investigation and recovery of the money they claim was unlawfully collected. Amid these allegations, Ghosh has reportedly disappeared from public view. While his whereabouts remain unknown, police detained his driver after intercepting him near the Odisha border in Belda as part of the ongoing investigation.