TMC councillor Debraj Chakraborty's funds linked to corporate entity in Bengal scams
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Bidhannagar City Police on 16 September 2026 filed a supplementary chargesheet at Barasat Court in the disproportionate assets case against former All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor Debraj Chakraborty of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC), revealing that a portion of money allegedly earned through extortion was transferred from his bank accounts to a corporate entity previously linked to the coal scam and the cash-for-school job scam in West Bengal. Special public prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee told the court that the total illicit funds in the case could amount to no less than ₹100 crore.
Key Developments in the Supplementary Chargesheet
The supplementary chargesheet, filed alongside the one naming Chakraborty's wife Aditi Munishi, a former TMC legislator, alleges that the accused transferred money to a corporate entity whose name has surfaced repeatedly in major financial irregularity cases during the previous TMC regime in West Bengal. Police also indicated in the filing that further investigation is ongoing and that additional supplementary chargesheets may be filed if warranted.
Chatterjee told reporters after the court filing: 'The money obtained through illegal means has entered various important bank accounts. There is electronic and other evidence in the matter.' He also disclosed a personal dimension: 'As you are aware, I have also personally received a threatening call in relation to this particular case. I have also informed the police in the matter.'
Background: Arrests and Earlier Chargesheet
Debraj Chakraborty was arrested in July 2026 on multiple charges including extortion and possession of disproportionate assets. The first chargesheet in the matter was filed at Barasat Court on 6 August 2026. He is currently in judicial custody.
Beyond the disproportionate assets case, Chakraborty faces allegations spanning an extortion racket, land grabbing, syndicate operations in the Bidhannagar area, and a case connected to post-poll violence in 2021. This breadth of charges reflects what investigators describe as a multi-layered criminal enterprise rooted in municipal-level power.
Corporate Link and Wider Scam Connections
The most significant new disclosure in the supplementary chargesheet is the alleged fund transfer to a corporate entity that investigators say was also involved in the West Bengal coal scam and the cash-for-school job scam — two of the state's most politically sensitive corruption cases in recent years. This suggests, according to the police, that the financial web extends well beyond an individual councillor and into a larger network of alleged irregularities under the previous TMC administration.
Notably, the public prosecutor's disclosure of a threatening phone call he received adds a potential witness intimidation angle to the proceedings, raising questions about the safety of those involved in prosecuting high-profile political corruption cases in West Bengal.
What Comes Next
The Bidhannagar City Police have signalled that the investigation is far from complete, with the possibility of further chargesheets as electronic and financial evidence is processed. The case is being heard at Barasat Court in North 24 Parganas district, and legal observers expect the corporate entity angle to be the crux of future proceedings. The scale of alleged funds — reportedly no less than ₹100 crore — and the cross-case corporate links position this as one of the more complex political corruption trials in Bengal in recent memory.