Kolkata, June 17 (IANS) Police have arrested former Trinamool Congress councillor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Sushanta Ghosh on charges of corruption. Police said on Wednesday that the Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police arrested him in Puri, Odisha.

He was the Trinamool Congress councillor from Ward No. 108 of the KMC. An FIR was registered against him on multiple charges, including extortion. Police had been looking for him for a long time.

Allegedly, Sushanta had abandoned his car and fled on foot in Odisha. His driver was caught, but the former Trinamool Congress councillor managed to escape. A vigorous search operation was launched to trace him. Finally, Sushanta was arrested on Wednesday.

With this arrest, a total of 11 former Trinamool Congress councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have been arrested on various charges in the last one month.

According to the police, several members of the Hawkers Committee recently approached the Anandapur police station and lodged a complaint against Sushanta Ghosh, accusing him of extorting Rs 3 crore from hawkers in Ward No. 108.

As soon as the complaint was filed, the former Trinamool Congress councillor went into hiding. Police pursued him to Odisha. However, on noticing the police approaching, he got out of the car and fled.

The driver, Sujit Chowdhury, was arrested from the vehicle as he could not escape.

Last month, Sushanta Ghosh stepped down as chairman of Borough Committee No. 12 at the KMC. However, he did not resign from the post of councillor. Later, the municipal board of the KMC was dissolved following the resignation of Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim.

According to sources, the police investigation has uncovered evidence of several properties in Sushanta’s name. It is alleged that Sushanta also owns several properties registered in anonymous names.

The investigators’ initial assessment is that the value of the properties linked to him could run into several hundred crore rupees. Police will question Sushanta in this regard after taking him into custody.

He is currently being brought to Kolkata on transit remand.

–IANS

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