The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of West Bengal arrested a police constable from Jhargram district on charges of systematically extorting money from truck and tractor owners, officials confirmed on Wednesday, 26 August. Three brokers, including the constable attached to Jhargram Police Station, were caught red-handed during a late-night sting operation on Tuesday.

How the Trap Was Laid

Acting on a formal complaint that a constable was running an organised extortion network targeting commercial vehicles, an ACB team conducted a drive in Jhargram on Tuesday night. Investigators laid a trap and caught the three brokers in the act of collecting money from a truck owner. During interrogation, one broker confirmed that the collected amounts were passed directly to the constable.

Scale of the Racket

According to ACB sources, one broker had already collected ₹5 lakh from various trucks and tractors on behalf of the constable before the arrest. Notably, the constable's mobile number was saved in the broker's phone under the name 'Jhargram Manager' — suggesting an established, ongoing arrangement rather than an isolated incident. Both the day's extortion money and the previously collected ₹5 lakh have been confiscated, officials said. Investigators are now working to identify all individuals directly and indirectly linked to the gang, as well as the full list of victims and total amounts extorted.

Part of a Wider ACB Crackdown in West Bengal

This arrest is the latest in a series of ACB actions across the state. Earlier in August, the assistant engineer of the Jamboni BDO office in Jhargram was caught accepting a bribe, triggering a string of raids across West Bengal. On 18 August, Constable Shubhamoy Mondal of Nazirganj outpost under Sakrail police station in the Howrah Police Commissionerate area was arrested red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹1 lakh. Separately, Sub-Inspector Subrata Sarkar of Bantra police station in Howrah district was arrested for allegedly accepting money to suppress a bride torture case. In another case, one Shahbuddin Mallick was arrested on charges of illegally collecting blood from Panshkura Blood Bank and selling it for profit.

Investigation Status

The ACB has confirmed that the probe is ongoing and is being widened to trace all beneficiaries of the extortion network. The identities of vehicle owners who were extorted and the cumulative amounts collected from them are also under investigation. This is at least the second constable from the Jhargram area to be caught in ACB operations this month, raising questions about supervisory oversight within the district police setup.