Kolkata: A Trinamool panchayat pradhan from Jangra was arrested on Sunday by Bidhannagar police on charges of extortion. Rita Gayen, who served as the pradhan of Jangra-Hatiara-2 Gram Panchayat under Rajarhat block, allegedly sanctioned the construction of several buildings on wetlands and government land within her panchayat area in exchange for substantial sums of money.
Allegations of Bribery
Police officials stated that Gayen accepted hefty bribes from real estate promoters to allow the construction of multiple multi-storey buildings in the region. The illegal approvals reportedly violated environmental and land use regulations, causing concern among local residents and authorities.
Legal Proceedings
A complaint was filed against Gayen a few months ago, leading to her detention in New Town on Saturday. She was formally arrested and subsequently produced before the Barasat District Court on Sunday. The police have requested custody for further investigation, though they declined to disclose the identity of the complainant.
Gayen is known to have close political ties with former Trinamool MLA Tapas Chatterjee. Neither Gayen's family nor Chatterjee have issued any statements regarding the arrest or the allegations.
Previous Arrest in Rajarhat
This arrest comes just two days after Bahar Ali Laskar, the karmadhyaksha of Rajarhat Panchayat Samiti PWD, was taken into custody on similar syndicate and extortion charges. The series of arrests highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to crack down on corruption within local governance bodies in the Kolkata area.
