Kolkata: Third TMC councillor arrested in 24 hours over extortion charges
Synopsis
Three sitting TMC councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have been arrested on extortion charges within a fortnight — two of them in a single 24-hour window. With Arijit Das Thakur of Ward 106 now in custody after Sachin Singh and Sudip Polle, Kolkata Police's crackdown is closing in on the ruling party's civic machinery.
Key Takeaways
Arijit Das Thakur , TMC councillor of KMC Ward 106 , was arrested by Garfa police on Tuesday night for alleged extortion of promoters and businessmen.
His arrest came within 24 hours of Sachin Singh , councillor of Ward 36 , being taken into custody on similar charges.
Sudip Polle , councillor of Ward 123 and Chairman of Borough 16 , was arrested on 23 May in a separate extortion case.
Three sitting TMC councillors of KMC are now under arrest within roughly a fortnight.
Singh had also faced allegations of post-poll violence in 2021 , according to police sources.
Kolkata Police on 3 June confirmed the arrest of a third Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) within a span of 24 hours, as a widening crackdown on extortion and corruption allegations engulfs the ruling party's civic leadership in the city. Arijit Das Thakur, councillor of Ward 106, was taken into custody by officers of Garfa police station late on Tuesday night.
Latest arrest: Ward 106 councillor
According to a senior Kolkata Police officer, Das Thakur was accused of extorting money from local promoters and businessmen by allegedly threatening them. A written complaint reportedly stated that he had been leveraging influence over construction and business matters in the area to demand payments over an extended period.
Officers first summoned the councillor to Garfa police station for questioning. He was placed under arrest after a prolonged interrogation, with police saying the primary investigation corroborated the complainant's allegations.
Second arrest in 24 hours
Earlier on Tuesday, police arrested Sachin Singh, TMC councillor of Ward 36, also on extortion charges. According to sources at Lalbazar, the Kolkata Police headquarters, personnel from Narkeldanga police station went to his residence on Tuesday afternoon, where a section of local residents reportedly gathered in protest.
Residents alleged that Singh had been involved in intimidating and assaulting political opponents. Police sources said he had also faced allegations of post-poll violence in 2021, after the state Assembly election results were declared. Singh won his KMC seat on a TMC ticket for the first time that year.
The pattern since May
The arrests follow that of Sudip Polle, TMC councillor of Ward 123 and Chairman of Borough 16, who was picked up by Thakurpukur police on 23 May in a separate extortion case. With Das Thakur's arrest, three sitting KMC councillors from the ruling party now stand accused in extortion-linked investigations within a fortnight.
Wider crackdown
Police say a broader enforcement push has been under way against allegedly illegal activities involving TMC functionaries, with several councillors detained across the state over the past month on extortion and corruption charges. Officials maintain the action is driven by complaints and investigation outcomes rather than political considerations.
The TMC has not issued an official response on the latest arrest at the time of reporting. Further questioning of Das Thakur and Singh is expected as investigators trace alleged money trails and identify additional complainants.
Point of View
They expose how deeply ward-level politics in Kolkata has entangled itself with the city's construction economy. Equally, the timing and clustering of arrests will invite legitimate questions about selective enforcement, which the police must answer with transparent chargesheets and evidence rather than briefings. The real test is whether these cases reach conviction or quietly dissolve, as too many high-profile civic corruption probes in Bengal have before.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Arijit Das Thakur and why was he arrested?
Arijit Das Thakur is a Trinamool Congress councillor of Ward 106 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. He was arrested by Garfa police station on Tuesday night on allegations of extorting money from local promoters and businessmen by threatening them over construction and business matters.
How many TMC councillors have been arrested in this round of cases?
Three sitting TMC councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have been arrested within roughly a fortnight — Sudip Polle on 23 May, and Sachin Singh and Arijit Das Thakur within a single 24-hour window in early June. All three cases involve allegations of extortion.
What are the charges against Sachin Singh?
Sachin Singh, councillor of Ward 36, faces allegations of extortion, with local residents also accusing him of threatening and assaulting opponents. Police sources said he had earlier been named in post-poll violence allegations following the 2021 Assembly election results.
Has the Trinamool Congress responded to the arrests?
The Trinamool Congress had not issued an official response on the latest arrest at the time of reporting. Police maintain that the arrests are based on written complaints and investigation findings.
What happens next in the investigation?
Investigators are expected to continue questioning the arrested councillors and trace alleged money trails linked to the extortion complaints. Additional complainants may be identified as the probe widens across the affected wards.
