TMC leader Ramesh Patra arrested by Jangipara police in Hooghly, West Bengal over a multi-crore financial fraud and extortion case. Read details.
KOLKATA: In a major crackdown on political corruption, the police have arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Ramesh Patra in Jangipara, located in West Bengal’s Hooghly district, over his alleged involvement in a multi-crore financial fraud.
This arrest comes amid a broader anti-corruption drive spearheaded by the BJP administration since Suvendu Adhikari assumed office as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. The current government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy to weed out systemic graft deeply rooted during the previous TMC regime, leading to a string of high-profile arrests of opposition leaders.
The Allegations
According to police sources, Patra allegedly exploited his political clout to orchestrate an elaborate financial scam. The investigation was triggered by a formal complaint lodged by a businessman, Tanmoy Barui.
Barui alleged that while he was engaged in business operations with the ‘Adra-Bilaspur Cooperative Agricultural Development Society Limited’, Patra approached him, leveraging the names of several influential political figures. The TMC leader reportedly promised Barui lucrative government contracts and administrative favours in exchange for money.
Modus Operandi and Police Action
Trusting Patra’s political influence, Barui allegedly transferred roughly Rs 16 lakh through online channels and handed over another Rs 13 lakh in cash across multiple instalments—amounting to a total fraud running into crores.
However, when the promised administrative favours failed to materialise, Barui demanded his money back. Instead of refunding the amount, the TMC leader allegedly resorted to intimidation and death threats. Following the complaint, the Jangipara police registered a case under relevant sections of the law.
“We initiated a thorough probe and secured sufficient preliminary evidence validating the allegations, which led to the suspect’s arrest,” a senior police official stated. Investigators are currently probing whether Patra acted alone or if other high-ranking political leaders were complicit in the extortion racket.
Political Backlash
While the TMC central leadership has maintained a calculated silence and is yet to issue an official statement regarding the arrest, the ruling BJP has capitalised on the development. Local BJP leaders cited the incident as definitive proof of the “gunda raj” (lawlessness) and institutionalised corruption that thrived under the previous TMC government.
With the new administration actively greenlighting investigations into past bureaucratic lapses, political analysts suggest that more arrests could be on the horizon in the coming weeks.
