Ex-Councillor Shams Iqbal arrested and bailed within 6 hours in ₹70 lakh extortion case

Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor Shams Iqbal was arrested early Monday morning by the Garden Reach police, only to secure bail from a local city court within six hours. Iqbal, who previously represented Ward 134 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and is widely recognized as a highly influential political figure close to former Mayor Firhad Hakim, was taken into custody under stringent, non-bailable legal sections, including the Arms Act.

The heavy enforcement action was initiated following a formal police complaint lodged by Metiaburuj-based businessman Mohammad Shadab. According to investigative records, Shadab alleged that in June 2023, Shams Iqbal—alias Anil—alongside his close associates Mohammad Faraz (alias Boon) and Firoz Qureshi (alias Churi Firoz), had orchestrated a targeted extortion racket demanding a massive sum of ₹70 lakh. The complainant stated that the accused weaponized their heavy political influence to stall his regular business operations and repeatedly threatened his family members with dire consequences.

Despite the gravity of the non-bailable charges, the judicial proceedings took an unexpected turn immediately after the case arrived before the bench. The prosecution’s legal leverage completely dissolved as the complaining businessman moved a formal petition to withdraw all charges against the former councillor. In light of the complainant's decision to drop the litigation following an out-of-court mutual settlement, the government prosecutor could raise no valid legal objections against the defense's release petition.