Asansol, 18 May (H.S.): A major extortion racket involving illegal roadside shops on government land and the collection of “dada tax” from toto and e-rickshaw drivers has come to light in Asansol city.
The case surfaced after a resident of the Sukanto Maidan area, Chhotu Rawat, lodged a written complaint at Asansol Police Station.
Based on the complaint, the police registered a case and named several accused, including Mohammad Nasim Ansari, Mohammad Takir, Mohammad Lalu, Mohammad Aziz, Gautam Das, Amar Nandi, Gullu, Biswajit Ray and Raju Ahluwalia.
Police registered Case No. 188/26 under Sections 308(2), 351(2), 61(2A) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to police sources, three accused have so far been arrested in connection with the case. Based on the interrogation of those arrested, INTTUC leader Raju Ahluwalia has also been detained and questioned.
Allegedly, hundreds of illegal roadside shops have been operating on government land across Asansol for years. The Asansol Municipal Corporation has reportedly failed to completely remove these encroachments despite repeated attempts.
Particularly in the Hotton Road area, several drives were conducted over the past three years to clear encroachments. Markings for eviction were reportedly carried out four times, but each operation failed to achieve lasting results.
Sources claim that regular extortion money was being collected from illegal shopkeepers as well as toto and e-rickshaw drivers in the name of “dada tax.” Following the complaint, police have intensified their investigation into the entire network.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
