Kolkata Police arrest ex-Trinamool KMC councillor on extortion, molestation charges
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police on Saturday arrested Tarakeswar Chakraborty, a former All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), on charges of extortion and molestation. The arrest, made at around 12:30 am, marks the latest in a series of crackdowns on former TMC civic leaders following the party's defeat in the state Assembly elections.
Who Is Tarakeswar Chakraborty
Tarakeswar Chakraborty represented ward number 104 of the KMC in the Survey Park area of south Kolkata. He also served as the chairman of Borough No. 11 of KMC. He is a resident of Kalikumar Majumder Road in Santoshpur.
What the FIRs Allege
According to police, two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered against Chakraborty at the Survey Park police station on 23 June, following a complaint filed against him. The first FIR includes charges of molestation, unlawful obstruction of work, assault, damage to property, use of force against a woman with the intention of stripping her, intimidation, theft, and trespassing. The second FIR contains an allegation of extortion.
Custody and Court Appearance
Chakraborty is scheduled to be produced before a city court on Saturday. Police have indicated they will seek his custody for further questioning. Investigators are also reviewing complaints lodged against other former TMC councillors at various police stations across Kolkata.
Pattern of Arrests Since Political Transition
Chakraborty's arrest is part of a broader pattern that has emerged since the Trinamool Congress suffered a significant setback in the state Assembly elections. The KMC board has since been dissolved, and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim resigned, triggering the civic body's dissolution. According to police, approximately 11 former TMC councillors of the KMC have now been arrested on similar charges of extortion, corruption, and coercion. Chakraborty becomes the latest name added to that list.
The arrests signal an intensifying accountability drive targeting former TMC civic leaders, with police stating that complaints filed at multiple Kolkata police stations are being actively examined.