Kolkata Police arrest former Trinamool councillor of KMC on extortion, molestation charges

Kolkata Police arrested former TMC councillor and Borough 11 chairman Tarakeswar Chakraborty early Saturday on extortion and molestation charges. Chakraborty’s arrest marks the 11th detention of former KMC councillors facing similar criminal allegations amid ongoing civic cleanups

Kolkata: Police have arrested another former Trinamool Congress councillor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on charges of extortion and molestation.

Trinamool leader Tarakeswar Chakraborty was a councillor of ward number 104 of KMC in the Survey Park area in south Kolkata. Apart from this, Tarakeswar was also the chairman of Borough No 11 of KMC. The police arrested him at around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday.

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According to the police, there were two FIRs against Tarakeswar at the Survey Park police station. He is a resident of Kalikumar Majumder Road in Santoshpur.

In the first FIR, this Trinamool leader has been accused of molestation. Apart from this, sections like unlawful obstruction of work, assault, damage to property, use of force against a woman with the intention of stripping her naked, intimidation, theft and trespassing have also been added against him.

In the second FIR number, there is an allegation of extortion against him.

Police said that a complaint was filed against Tarkeshwar at the Survey Park police station. On June 23, two FIRs were registered on the basis of that. He will be produced in a city court on Saturday. The police would seek the Trinamool leader’s custody for questioning.

Since the Trinamool’s debacle in the state Assembly elections, divisions have emerged in the Trinamool Congress and several civic bodies run by the party.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) board has been dissolved. Mayor of Kolkata, Firhad Hakim, resigned, which resulted in the dissolution of the civic board.

Since the change of government, the police have arrested several Trinamool councillors. Most of them are accused of extortion, corruption and coercion. This time, the name of Tarkeshwar of ward number 104 has also been added to that list.

Till now, about 11 former Trinamool Congress councillors of KMC have been arrested by the police over similar charges.

According to the police, complaints filed against other Trinamool councillors in various police stations of Kolkata are being looked into.