West Bengal: Three persons associated with the Trinamool Congress, including a gram panchayat chief and an INTTUC leader, have been arrested in separate cases involving alleged financial corruption and extortion in West Bengal. The arrests include Smritikana Mondal, head of the Trinamool-run Bilaimari panchayat, her husband Anil, and INTTUC leader Saddam Sheikh.
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Panchayat Chief and Husband Held in Mini Bank Case
Police arrested Smritikana Mondal and her husband Anil in connection with the alleged defalcation of nearly ₹13 crore at the Sahanagar Krishi Unnayan Samiti Limited mini bank in Ratua 1 block.
Three other accused in the case are at large, and police are searching for them. Sources cited in the report said Anil had served as the manager of the mini bank for years and was known to be close to Ratua Trinamool MLA Samar Mukherjee.
Depositors Allege ₹13 Crore to ₹14 Crore Misappropriation
Anil later appointed his son Amit as manager of the institution. Amit reportedly held the post for five to seven years, while Anil’s nephew Pranab worked as the cashier.
Over the years, nearly 5,000 small farmers and residents had deposited their savings in the cooperative bank. About a year ago, the bank suddenly closed. Since then, the manager and the cashier have allegedly gone into hiding. Depositors alleged that around ₹13 crore to ₹14 crore was misappropriated by the bank.
Based on a complaint lodged on May 14 by Hriday Mondal, police initiated a probe and arrested Smritikana and Anil on Thursday night. Somnath Saha, the subdivisional police officer of Chanchal, said the investigation was in progress.
INTTUC Leader Arrested in Extortion Case
In another incident, police arrested a leader of the INTTUC, Trinamool’s trade union, on Friday night on charges of extorting money from e-rickshaw drivers.
The accused, Saddam Sheikh, is the vice-president of the INTTUC’s Kaliachak 1 block unit. The arrests have brought separate allegations of financial corruption and extortion involving persons associated with the Trinamool Congress under police scrutiny.
