Two All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders have been arrested in separate districts of West Bengal on corruption charges, police confirmed on Tuesday, 27 May 2025. The arrests — in North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas — follow the recovery of ₹80 lakh in cash and large quantities of government relief materials allegedly misappropriated by the two leaders.

Baduria Municipality Chairman Arrested with ₹80 Lakh

Dipankar Bhattacharya, Chairman of the Baduria municipality in North 24 Parganas district, was arrested by officers of the Baduria Police Station on Monday night after he was traced to a hotel where, according to a police source, he had reportedly been hiding. Two bags of clothing and medicines were found with him, leading investigators to suspect he had planned an extended disappearance.

Prior to the arrest, police had already recovered approximately 4,000 government tarpaulins from a Trinamool Congress office and a garden house linked to Bhattacharya. On his arrest, an additional ₹80 lakh in cash was seized. Corruption allegations against him had reportedly been circulating for a considerable period, with two formal complaints — one filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and another by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — lodged at the local police station. Bhattacharya was produced before the Basirhat Subdistrict Court on Tuesday.

Government Relief Materials Recovered from TMC Leader's House in Patharpratima

Gautam Aari, TMC regional president in Patharpratima of South 24 Parganas district, was arrested after a cache of government relief materials was found at his residence in Durbachti gram panchayat. Recovered items included blankets, tarpaulins, mats, and fish food, all allegedly stored in the house's storage room over an extended period.

The BJP and a section of local residents had surrounded Aari's house and staged protests through Monday night, alleging that government relief and project materials had been systematically diverted. Officials from the Patharpratima police station and the block development officer visited the site, and the premises were opened in the presence of the administration. The Sundarban Development Board subsequently filed a formal complaint with the police, on the basis of which Aari was arrested.

Pattern of Corruption Allegations Against TMC Functionaries

The twin arrests come amid a broader pattern of corruption allegations that have dogged TMC local-body functionaries in Bengal in recent years. Opposition parties — particularly the BJP and the CPI(M) — have repeatedly accused ruling-party representatives of diverting government welfare schemes, including relief materials meant for cyclone and flood victims in the Sundarbans region.

Notably, the recovery of tarpaulins and blankets — materials typically distributed after natural disasters — points to alleged diversion of disaster-relief supplies, a charge that carries significant political weight in a state prone to cyclonic flooding. This is not the first time TMC-affiliated local leaders have faced such accusations; several similar cases have been registered across Bengal's districts in recent years.

What Happens Next

Both leaders are in police custody. Bhattacharya's case is before the Basirhat Subdistrict Court, and further legal proceedings are expected to determine bail eligibility and the scope of investigation. The Sundarban Development Board's complaint against Aari is likely to trigger a broader audit of relief material distribution in Patharpratima block. Opposition parties have called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into what they describe as systemic misappropriation of government funds.