• Source:JND

Trinamool Congress leader and ex-Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) mayor Sabyasachi Dutta was egged, pelted with tomatoes and cow dung by protesters on his arrest in an alleged extortion and criminal intimidation case in West Bengal.

Videos from the spot showed protestors swarming the police station and court premises and shouting ‘thief’ as Dutta was taken out of a police car and escorted by police officers. The demonstrations followed Dutta out of the court when he was escorted inside the premises.

The Trinamool Congress leader was taken into custody from his Raigachi residence in the North 24 Parganas district following a complaint by a businessman who stated that Dutta had asked him for over Rs 1 crore in 2018.

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Dutta Rejects Allegations

Dutta, however, refuted the allegations and asserted he was being falsely implicated. "Ready to be hanged if they can prove I took even one rupee," PTI quoted Dutta. Dutta was presented before the Bidhannagar Sub-Divisional Court, where he was handed over eight days of police custody for questioning in connection with the case.

The arrest immediately drew reactions from West Bengal politics. Sharadwat Mukherjee, West Bengal Minister and Bidhannagar MLA, welcomed the arrest and stated, "The pillars of corruption and arrogance are being arrested one by one."

He also complimented Bidhannagar Police for taking prompt action against the accused and stated that "extortionists" from the TMC era were now being arrested on a war footing.

The Former Mayor of Bidhannagar, Dutta, had lost the recent Assembly election from Barasat after contesting from the Trinamool Congress. He had joined the BJP in 2019 and rejoined the TMC two years later.

The arrest comes in the middle of intensified political activity following the interrogation of many of the ruling party leaders involved in various civic body-related cases.

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Several TMC Leaders Face Action

Since the Assembly elections, several TMC leaders have encountered public demonstrations, slogan-shouting and confrontational protests in different parts of the state.

Abhishek Banerjee recently faced protests in Sonarpur, where he was visiting; there have also been demonstrations at the police station and court premises in various locations following the allegations of corruption and extortion against several TMC leaders. In another incident, TMC MLA Madan Mitra's car was allegedly attacked with eggs in Ariadaha amid protests over "cut money" extortion on June 6.  

Over the past few weeks, a new symbolic gesture by protesters against political leaders accused of various scams has been the eggs. This is one of the latest incidents that demonstrate the struggle of the TMC, as public angst finds expression in the streets and through such acts.


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