West Bengal Police on Wednesday evening arrested Debraj Chakraborty, a former All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation in North 24 Parganas, in connection with an ongoing disproportionate assets case. Chakraborty was apprehended from Purulia after the Calcutta High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea last week, making his arrest imminent.

Background of the Case

Investigators allege that Chakraborty and his wife, former TMC MLA Aditi Munshi — who represented the Rajarhat-Gopalpur assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas — transferred assets worth at least ₹100 crore anonymously, and in the names of relatives and acquaintances, ahead of the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections. The couple faces charges of holding assets disproportionate to known income, concealment of assets, and money laundering.

Munshi, who is also an acclaimed devotional singer, is additionally accused of understating her assets in the election affidavit she filed for the recently concluded state assembly polls — elections in which she was ultimately defeated.

Court Orders and Bail Conditions

A single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta of the Calcutta High Court last week rejected Chakraborty's anticipatory bail application. On the same day, however, the bench granted an interim anticipatory bail to Munshi — a co-accused in the same case — citing the couple's four-month-old daughter as a humanitarian consideration.

The court attached stringent conditions to Munshi's interim relief. Both she and her husband were directed to surrender their passports before a lower court, and neither was permitted to travel abroad without prior approval from the Calcutta High Court. The bench also barred both from contacting or influencing any witness during the interim period. Additionally, Munshi was prohibited from entering any area under the jurisdiction of Baguiati Police Station, where the case was originally registered.

Who Is Debraj Chakraborty

Chakraborty served as a councillor of the Bidhannagar Municipality and was widely regarded as an influential figure in the area. His wife, Aditi Munshi, built a dual profile as a devotional singer before entering electoral politics on a TMC ticket. The investigation against both was initiated on charges of holding undeclared assets.

What Happens Next

With Chakraborty now in custody, investigators are expected to pursue the money trail linked to the alleged asset transfers. The case is being closely watched as it implicates a sitting — now former — legislator and her husband in what authorities describe as a systematic effort to conceal wealth before an election cycle. The Calcutta High Court continues to oversee bail conditions for Munshi, and any violation could result in her arrest as well.