Former Trinamool MLA Sabyasachi Dutta arrested in extortion, corruption case

Former two-term Trinamool Congress MLA from Rajarhat-Newtown Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal and also the former chairman of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation in the same district, Sabyasachi Dutta, was arrested early Tuesday morning.

The main charges against Dutta are involvement in corruption, extortion and rampant threatening of people in his locality.

Sources aware of the development said that Dutta, currently a councillor of ward number 31 of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, was arrested following a written complaint filed by a businessman based in Salt Lake on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, which also falls within the jurisdiction of the Bidhannagar City Police.

Apart from that, there were several other complaints in the past about his involvement in corruption, extortion and hooliganism in his locality.

Following the complaint filed by the businessman, the cops of Bidhannagar North Police Station raided Dutta’s residence at Raigachi area in Rajarhat after midnight on Monday

Later, he was arrested from his house. According to sources, Dutta was arrested early this morning after a long interrogation at his residence.

Dutta, a two-time Trinamool Congress legislator from Rajarhat-Newtown Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas from 2011 to 2021, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls.

In 2021, he contested as a BJP candidate from Bidhannagar Assembly constituency in the same district and was defeated by three-time former Trinamool Congress legislator and former West Bengal Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose.

Incidentally, Bose is also in judicial custody, and officers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him last month on charges of involvement in the multi-crore cash-for-municipalities’ job case in the state.

After the 2021 Assembly election, the Trinamool Congress returned to power in West Bengal for a third consecutive term; Dutta left the BJP and joined the ruling party.

In the recently concluded Assembly polls, which marked the end of the 15-year-long Trinamool Congress regime in the state, Dutta had contested from Barasat Assembly constituency in the same district and was defeated.

Sources from the Bidhannagar City Police said that Dutta will first be taken for medical examination and subsequently presented at a district court in North 24 Parganas. The public prosecutor will seek his judicial custody.