Kolkata: Former Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) councillor Susanta Ghosh, who had fled the city after resigning as chairman of Borough XII on May 27, was arrested in Puri, Odisha, on Wednesday on extortion charges. Ghosh, who represented ward 108 in Kasba in the civic board dissolved on June 8, is the eighth accused in a case involving alleged extortion of approximately Rs 3 crore from hawkers. He also became the tenth former KMC councillor to be apprehended since the assembly election results were announced on May 4.
Arrest Details
According to sources, a team from the detective department of Kolkata Police, assisted by Odisha Police, arrested the 56-year-old near a tea stall in Pipili, Puri district, around 6:30 pm on Wednesday. Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Kunal Aggarwal said, “The detective department’s anti-fraud section has taken over the main probe. Ghosh confessed to the crime during interrogation at Pipili police station. He is being brought to Kolkata.”
Extortion Modus Operandi
Aggarwal explained that between 2022 and 2023, Ghosh and members of a hawker committee extorted large sums from shopkeepers on Anandapur Road under the pretext of allocating pavement shops. Victims were forced to comply under threat. Seven other accused, including key operators Sujit Kumar Chowdhury and Sujit Kumar, are already in police custody. Custodial interrogations and raids have led to the seizure of incriminating documents.
Multiple FIRs and Flight
Ghosh is named in multiple FIRs related to extortion, cheating, and criminal intimidation. He reportedly disappeared after the first complaint was lodged against him at Anandapur police station on May 27. Police narrowly missed him on June 5 when his car was intercepted in Belda, West Midnapore, and his driver arrested. Police sources said Ghosh had alighted from the car upon seeing police approach and fled.
Properties and Benami Assets
Investigations have uncovered several properties linked to Ghosh, and he is accused of owning numerous benami assets. Besides being a former borough chairman, Ghosh served as the chief election agent for former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the 2021 assembly elections in Nandigram against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari.
Previous Attack
A few years ago, a biker attempted to shoot Ghosh outside his home in Kasba. He survived as the gun malfunctioned, and the attacker was arrested.
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