Kolkata, 24 September (H.S.) : A sensational claim has emerged regarding millions of rupees collected through illegal extortion being deposited into the bank account of the Youth Trinamool Congress. According to police investigations, a total of ₹77 crore was held in the party wing's bank account, out of which ₹33 crore was transferred to a company named 'Leaps and Bounds'—an entity linked to Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Following these developments, charges have been formally framed against arrested former Bidhannagar Mayor-in-Council Debraj Chakraborty at the Barasat court.

Charges have been framed against Debraj Chakraborty under multiple severe counts, including syndicate-related organized crime and extortion from promoters. According to sources, this marks the first instance where charges have been framed under the specific syndicate crime provisions introduced in the new criminal laws. The investigating agency submitted the chargesheet based on concrete evidence, and the judicial process of recording witness testimonies in the trial will commence from next week.

Arrested on extortion charges, former councillor Debraj Chakraborty is widely known as a close confidant of Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee. Police disclosures in the chargesheet indicate that out of the ₹77 crore pooled in the Youth Trinamool account, ₹10.5 crore directly belonged to Chakraborty. A critical facet of the case involves the ₹33 crore routed to 'Leaps and Bounds'. Notably, Abhishek Banerjee had publicly acknowledged himself as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of this company a few years ago. Furthermore, investigation reveals that between 2021 and 2026, Chakraborty's wife and former MLA Aditi Munshi acquired 25 new properties within a span of just a few years, valued at hundreds of crores of rupees.

The revelations have sharply escalated political crossfire across the state. West Bengal BJP President Shamik Bhattacharya launched a scathing attack on the ruling dispensation, asserting that every common citizen and even a school-going child knows the ultimate destination of these funds. He claimed that following his initial interrogation, a panicked Chakraborty remarked to a close councillor that he acted entirely on the instructions of 'Dada' rather than his own accord. The BJP leader directly alleged that 'Leaps and Bounds' was purposefully

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh