Kolkata, 19 May (H.S.) : Police action against leaders and associates of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has intensified across several districts of West Bengal, with multiple arrests made over the past two days in cases related to extortion, syndicate operations, intimidation, assault, and alleged conspiracy to commit robbery. The TMC has alleged that the arrests are politically motivated and part of a campaign of vendetta.

On Tuesday, Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation councillor Sushobhan Mondal alias “Michael” was arrested on charges of extortion. According to police sources, several local shopkeepers had lodged complaints against him. One businessman alleged that he was forced to pay Rs 3 lakh. The councillor from Ward No. 26 of Bidhannagar was arrested on Monday night.

In the same case, Bidhannagar North Police also arrested TMC supporter Abhijit Polley alias “Chhotu.” He has been accused of regularly collecting money from roadside vendors, auto and toto drivers, bus operators, and hawkers. Police claimed the illegal collection racket had been running for the past four years. Investigators are now trying to trace the beneficiaries of the extortion money. Local residents alleged that Chhotu was close to former mayor Sabyasachi Dutta.

In Bankura, Suraj Bux, district vice-president of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, was arrested for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to commit robbery. Police said he had earlier been accused in an assault case involving a primary school teacher and a leader of the Joint Forum. He was produced before a Bankura court on Tuesday, which remanded him to seven days of police custody.

Police had reportedly received information that a group was planning to loot passersby and vehicles on the Rajgram-Shyamdanga road. During the raid, Surajit Pramanik and Akash Garai were arrested, while several others escaped under the cover of darkness. During interrogation, the name of a TMC youth leader allegedly surfaced in connection with the case.

In East Burdwan district, influential TMC leader Ahmed Hussain Sheikh was arrested in Monteswar when he appeared in court to seek bail in an old case. Sheikh is the president of the Monteswar Panchayat Samiti.

Local residents alleged that after BJP candidate Saikat Panja won the 2026 Assembly election, Ahmed Hussain had reduced his public appearances. He has previously faced allegations of corruption, misconduct with government officials and engineers, and involvement in criminal activities. His name had also surfaced in connection with an attack on the vehicle of former state library minister and Monteswar MLA Siddiqullah Chowdhury, though no action had been taken at the time.

Meanwhile, in Howrah, Golabari Police arrested Mohammad Arshad Ansari in connection with attacks on police and RAF personnel during violence that erupted in the Pilkhana area of North Howrah following the murder of Sheikh Soufik on February 25. Arshad has been accused of assaulting an on-duty government officer with a stick.

In another development, two TMC leaders, including a booth president, were arrested in Andal area of West Burdwan district on charges of extortion and running a coal syndicate. The accused were identified as Ramjiban Lohar and Munna Sahu. Ramjiban Lohar is the deputy head of Bahula Panchayat and is considered close to local TMC leader Veer Bahadur.

Businessmen alleged that the two leaders collected huge sums of money in the name of the coal syndicate and threatened to shut down operations if payments were not made. Police initiated action following repeated complaints from traders over the alleged extortion racket.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh