After questioning Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Santanu Sinha Biswas, the Enforcment Directorate on Thursday arrested the senior police officer in connection with an alleged land-grabbing and extortion case.
Biswas, a former officer-in-charge of Kalighat Police Station, is considered close to former chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The case is linked to businessman Biswajit Poddar, alias 'Sona Pappu' of the Golpark area, a history-sheeter allegedly close to the Trinamool Congress.
While checking Pappu’s bank accounts, ED reportedly came across suspicious financial transactions connecting Biswas. The arrest of Behala-based businessman Joy Kamdar in a financial irregularities case is said to have helped the ED gather more information on alleged links to Biswas.
Pappu and his associates allegedly used force to seize disputed land, constructed buildings illegally with the help of municipal authorities and siphoned the proceeds to key figures in the administration.
Biswas had been summoned by the ED several times previously, including on April 28, a day before the second phase of assembly elections in West Bengal. However, he did not appear before the agency.
Following this, a lookout circular was was issued across airports and Border Security Force (BSF) outposts to prevent him from leaving the country.
On April 19, the ED raided three locations for several hours. These included his house on Fern Road, another residential building near Fern Road and Kamdar's residence in Behala. Biswas's two sons, Sayantan and Manish were also summoned by the ED, but they did not turn up.
