Kolkata, Aug 27 — Former Trinamool Congress Municipal Corporation (KMC) councillor Bapi Ghosh has been accused of forcing a family to sign contracts by threatening them, police said on Thursday. He allegedly grabbed land for flat construction by making false promises.
According to the contract, the complainant's family was supposed to get a flat, a shop and Rs 10.5 lakh in cash. However, it is alleged that Ghosh did not give the family any money despite handing over the flat and shop. A complaint was recently filed with Shyampukur police station in north Kolkata.
The complainant, Anita Sau, alleged that her husband took the land in 2020 to build a flat on Gopimohan Lane in Shyampukur. Ghosh, then councillor of ward number 7 of the KMC, and his associate Debabrata Akuli allegedly forced them to sign the contract by threatening them. They were told they would be given Rs 10.5 lakh along with the shop and flat once construction was completed. However, the family did not receive the cash, and when they later asked for the money, they were allegedly threatened again.
Anita said her family was warned they would “suffer the consequences” if they persisted. Based on her complaint and preliminary investigation, police have registered an FIR. A case has been filed against the accused councillor and his partner under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating, extortion, threatening and conspiracy to commit criminal acts.
At the time of publishing the report, no response had been received from the former councillor regarding the complaint.
It may be noted that after the change of government in the state following the Assembly elections, a large number of Trinamool leaders, former ministers and councillors were arrested by police on charges including extortion, assault, molestation and intimidation. In many cases, angry people threw eggs at those leaders as police escorted them. On several occasions, crowds chanted “thieves” while targeting the arrested Trinamool leaders.