Kolkata: The Anandapur police have lodged yet another FIR against Trinamool Congress (TMC) former Kasba councillor Sushanta Ghosh and four of his aides for allegedly defrauding a resident of Rs 7.7 lakh by selling a footpath stall using forged Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) documents.
Complaint Filed by Binoy Majumder
The case was registered on Tuesday following a complaint by Binoy Majumder, a resident of Rajdanga School Road in Kasba. According to police, the complaint names Ghosh, along with Sujit Kumar alias Bachchan, Pappu Roy, Partha Dey Sarkar, Shyamal Sardar, and several unidentified individuals.
Legal Sections Invoked
The police have initiated a case under sections 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), and 386 (extortion) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Alleged Criminal Conspiracy
According to the FIR, the alleged criminal conspiracy began in November 2022. The accused reportedly approached Majumder with rosy representations and induced him to purchase a 7-foot shop on the footpath of Anandapur Road, leading towards Ruby Crossing. To win his confidence, the accused allegedly produced forged KMC authorized vendor licenses, portraying them as genuine municipal permits. Relying on these documents, Majumder handed over Rs 7.7 lakh to the accused.
Breach of Promise and Intimidation
However, the complainant alleged that after pocketing the money, the accused backtracked on their promise. Instead of the promised stall, they allegedly placed Majumder under severe fear and intimidation, forcibly handing over unauthorized keys to a completely different, 4-foot room. This smaller space was originally utilized as an ambulance room by the Ruby Market Committee, claimed the FIR.
Failure to Provide Official License
Furthermore, the accused failed to provide the official KMC vendor license as promised. Realizing he had been duped with unauthorized property keys and fabricated paperwork, the victim finally approached the police.
Investigation Underway
Senior officials at the Anandapur police station confirmed that the investigation has been officially taken up, even as teams are fanning across at least three states in search of Ghosh. We will show Sujit — whom we arrested on Wednesday — as arrested in this case. His questioning will be crucial to try to gather evidence against Ghosh, said a police source.
