In a late-night operation on Monday, police arrested Sabyasachi Dutta, Councillor of Ward No. 31 of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, from an upscale residential complex in the Raigachi area near 211 Road in Rajarhat.
Midnight raid ends in dramatic arrest
The arrest was made by Bidhannagar North Police Station in connection with allegations of extortion. According to police sources, a Salt Lake-based businessman recently filed a complaint at the Bidhannagar Commissionerate, alleging repeated threats and extortion demands. The complainant also claimed that he was pressured by the former MLA to pay money on multiple occasions.
Businessman alleges threats and extortion demands
Following the complaint, police launched an investigation and conducted a raid late on Monday night at the residential complex, where Sabyasachi Dutta was taken into custody.
On Tuesday, while being taken to court, the Trinamool leader claimed that he had been arrested out of political vendetta in connection with a case dating back to 2018.
Former MLA’s shifting political journey
It is worth noting that Sabyasachi Dutta served as the Trinamool Congress MLA from the Rajarhat New Town constituency between 2011 and 2019. He later joined the BJP in 2019 and contested the 2021 Bidhannagar Assembly election on a BJP ticket but lost. He subsequently returned to the Trinamool Congress in 2021. In the 2022 Bidhannagar civic polls, he was elected as a Councillor from Ward No. 31 and was later appointed Chairperson of the municipal board.
He was also fielded by the Trinamool Congress as a candidate from the Barasat Assembly constituency in the recent elections but lost. Later, he was made Chairman of the Barasat parliamentary district unit of the party.
