Two TMC leaders arrested in Bengal for corruption, ₹80 lakh seized
Synopsis
Two TMC local leaders arrested on the same day in West Bengal — one hiding in a hotel with ₹80 lakh cash and 4,000 government tarpaulins already seized, the other caught after government relief materials including blankets and fish food were found stockpiled at his home. Opposition parties are now demanding a CBI probe into what they call systemic diversion of welfare supplies.
Key Takeaways
Dipankar Bhattacharya , Chairman of Baduria municipality , arrested with ₹80 lakh cash on Monday night ; approximately 4,000 government tarpaulins had already been recovered from his properties.
Gautam Aari , TMC regional president in Patharpratima , arrested after blankets, tarpaulins, mats, and fish food were found at his home in Durbachti gram panchayat .
Complaints against Bhattacharya were filed by both the CPI(M) and the BJP ; the Sundarban Development Board filed the complaint against Aari.
Bhattacharya was reportedly hiding in a hotel and is suspected to have planned an extended disappearance; he appeared before Basirhat Subdistrict Court on Tuesday.
Opposition parties have demanded a CBI probe into alleged systemic diversion of government relief materials in West Bengal .
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.
Point of View
Blankets, fish food — is politically damaging precisely because these items are meant for the state's most vulnerable communities in cyclone-prone Sundarbans. What mainstream coverage underplays is the procedural detail: both arrests were triggered by opposition complaints, not by any internal TMC or state-government audit. That distinction matters. It suggests the anti-corruption machinery in Bengal is reactive rather than proactive, and raises the question of how much diversion goes undetected in districts where no organised opposition complaint mechanism exists.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the two TMC leaders arrested in West Bengal for corruption?
The two leaders are Dipankar Bhattacharya , Chairman of Baduria municipality in North 24 Parganas, and Gautam Aari , TMC regional president in Patharpratima, South 24 Parganas. Both were arrested on corruption charges related to the alleged misappropriation of government funds and relief materials.
What was recovered from Dipankar Bhattacharya at the time of his arrest?
Police seized ₹80 lakh in cash from Bhattacharya when he was arrested from a hotel where he had reportedly been hiding. Earlier, approximately 4,000 government tarpaulins had been recovered from a TMC office and a garden house linked to him.
What government materials were found at Gautam Aari's house?
Authorities recovered blankets, tarpaulins, mats, and fish food — all government relief materials — from a storage room at Aari's residence in Durbachti gram panchayat, Patharpratima. The Sundarban Development Board filed the complaint that led to his arrest.
Who filed complaints against these TMC leaders?
Complaints against Dipankar Bhattacharya were filed by the CPI(M) and the BJP at the Baduria Police Station. The complaint against Gautam Aari was filed by the Sundarban Development Board with the Patharpratima police station.
What happens next in the two corruption cases?
Bhattacharya has been produced before the Basirhat Subdistrict Court and further legal proceedings on bail and investigation scope are pending. The Sundarban Development Board's complaint against Aari is expected to prompt a broader audit of relief distribution in Patharpratima block. Opposition parties have demanded a CBI probe into both cases.
