Susanta Ghosh former TMC councilor arrested in Puri over extortion
Susanta Ghosh, who used to be a Trinamool Congress (TMC) councilor of ward 108, was caught in Puri, Odisha, on Wednesday.
He had been dodging police after being accused of running an extortion racket and facing charges of corruption and forgery.
The Kolkata Police Special Task Force teamed up with Odisha Police to track him down.
Hawkers allege 3 cr extortion
Ghosh allegedly ran an extortion scheme in eastern Kolkata, where at least 130 members of a market hawkers' committee say he and his group collected around ₹3 crore by demanding money and selling new shop spaces for ₹6 lakh each.
Complaints also mention unfair allocation of shop spots.
With his arrest, the count of former councilors nabbed has now reached 10.
Ghosh remand sought in Odisha court
After his arrest, Ghosh was brought before an Odisha court as police requested transit remand so they can take him back to Kolkata for further legal action.