Bidhannagar municipal corporation councillor Samrat Barua arrested in extortion case

Samrat Barua alias Rakhal, councillor of Ward No. 6 under Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation and a close associate of mayoral council member Debraj Chakraborty, was arrested by Baguiati police on Friday night on charges of extortion and land grabbing. With this arrest, the total number of councillors arrested from the civic body in extortion-related cases has reached four.

According to police sources and earlier arrests, Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation councillors Ranjan Poddar (Ward No. 34), Sushovan Mondal (Ward No. 26), and Samresh Chakraborty (Ward No. 9) had also been arrested in separate cases related to extortion, syndicate operations, and corruption allegations. Partha Verma alias Tinku, a councillor of Ward No. 35 of South Dumdum Municipality, has also been arrested in a related matter.

Opposition BJP MLA Tarunjyoti Tiwari has alleged that Samrat Barua was a close aide of Debraj Chakraborty and that the arrested individuals are only part of a larger network. He has also claimed that the alleged extortion network is being operated by senior figures, while describing the arrested councillors as minor associates in the case.

In a parallel development, allegations related to unexplained assets linked to Debraj Chakraborty and his wife, former MLA Aditi Munsi, have also been reported. The couple has approached the High Court seeking protection from arrest, while the court has sought investigation reports and directed submission of documents by June 19, with interim protection from coercive action remaining in place.