Partha Chatterjee faces extortion, death threat complaint in Kolkata
Synopsis
A Kolkata woman has filed an extortion and death threat complaint against jailed ex-Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and three others, alleging ₹25 lakh was extorted with a further ₹1 crore demand in 2020. She says fear of the then-ruling TMC kept her silent for years — a pattern now emerging across West Bengal as political equations shift.
Key Takeaways
A complaint alleging extortion and death threats has been filed against former Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee at Thakurpukur police station on 29 June .
Former Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillor Ghanashree Bagh and associates Tilak Bhattacharya and Sudip Ghosh are also named in the complaint.
The alleged incidents took place in 2020 , two years before Chatterjee's arrest in the teachers' recruitment scam.
The complainant alleged ₹25 lakh was extorted, followed by a demand for an additional ₹1 crore , and that family business losses totalled nearly ₹40 lakh .
Police have confirmed investigations against all accused; Ghanashree Bagh and Tilak Bhattacharya may be summoned for questioning soon.
A fresh complaint has been lodged against former West Bengal Education Minister and ex-All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Partha Chatterjee on charges of extortion and issuing death threats, Kolkata police confirmed on Monday, 29 June. The complaint, filed at Thakurpukur police station, relates to an alleged incident in 2020 — two years before Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the high-profile teachers' recruitment corruption case.
Who Has Been Named
Alongside Chatterjee, the complaint names former Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillor Ghanashree Bagh and her associates, identified as Tilak Bhattacharya and Sudip Ghosh, on similar charges of extortion and criminal intimidation. All four accused face allegations stemming from the same sequence of events described by the complainant, a resident of Thakurpukur Road.
What the Complainant Alleged
According to police, the complainant — a woman — alleged that her father-in-law, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker, was falsely implicated in a local incident in which a youth was injured, despite not being present at the scene. He was subsequently arrested, first remanded to police custody and later sent to judicial custody.
When the family protested, they were allegedly summoned and pressured into silence by Chatterjee and the local councillor. The complainant further alleged that their family business was disrupted for approximately six months, causing losses of nearly ₹40 lakh. She also claimed she was actively prevented from seeking legal assistance during this period.
Separately, the complainant alleged that Ghanashree Bagh extorted ₹25 lakh from her husband on the promise of securing his father's release. The accused then allegedly demanded an additional ₹1 crore and issued threats when the demand was not met, further affecting the family's business.
Why the Complaint Was Filed Now
The complainant stated she could not approach the police earlier due to fear, given that the Trinamool Congress was in power at the time of the alleged incidents. She filed the complaint following a change in political circumstances, which she said gave her the confidence to come forward. This pattern — of delayed complaints surfacing after political shifts — has been observed in several West Bengal districts in recent months.
Notably, Chatterjee has been in custody since 2022, when the ED and CBI arrested him in connection with the teachers' recruitment scam, one of the most politically charged corruption cases in the state's recent history.
Investigation Status
Police confirmed that an investigation is underway based on the complaint. A separate investigation has also been initiated specifically against Chatterjee. Authorities indicated that Ghanashree Bagh and Tilak Bhattacharya may be summoned for questioning shortly. The status of Sudip Ghosh's role in the investigation has not been detailed by police as of this report.
With Chatterjee already facing trial in the teachers' recruitment case, this fresh complaint adds another layer of legal jeopardy for the former minister, and is likely to draw further scrutiny of the TMC's governance record during that period.
Point of View
But for its timing: it surfaces only after a shift in political power, underscoring how institutional fear can suppress legitimate grievances for years. West Bengal has seen a pattern of such delayed complaints, raising questions about whether the justice system can now deliver accountability without becoming a tool of political reversal. Chatterjee already faces a corruption trial that has become a symbol of TMC-era governance failures; a parallel extortion case, if it holds up to scrutiny, compounds the reputational and legal damage. The real test is whether police investigations proceed independently, or whether they track the political winds that emboldened the complainant to come forward in the first place.
NationPress
29 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the charges against Partha Chatterjee in this new complaint?
Partha Chatterjee has been named in a complaint filed at Thakurpukur police station on 29 June, alleging extortion and issuing death threats during incidents that reportedly took place in 2020. Police have confirmed an investigation is underway against him.
Who else has been named in the extortion complaint?
Former Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillor Ghanashree Bagh, along with Tilak Bhattacharya and Sudip Ghosh, have been named alongside Chatterjee on charges of extortion and criminal intimidation. Bagh and Bhattacharya may be summoned for questioning soon, police said.
How much money was allegedly extorted from the complainant's family?
According to the complainant, Ghanashree Bagh extorted ₹25 lakh from her husband on the promise of securing his father's release. The accused then allegedly demanded an additional ₹1 crore, and threats were issued when the demand was not met.
Why did the complainant wait until now to file the case?
The complainant stated she was unable to approach police earlier out of fear, as the Trinamool Congress was in power at the time of the alleged incidents in 2020. She filed the complaint after a change in political circumstances gave her the confidence to come forward.
What is Partha Chatterjee's current legal status?
Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI in 2022 in connection with the West Bengal teachers' recruitment corruption case. He remains in legal proceedings related to that case, and now faces an additional police investigation following this new complaint.
