Businessman accuses TMC MLA of extortion

KOLKATA: Heavyweight Trinamul Congress MLA and Bidhannagar mayor Sabyasachi Dutta was accused of demanding Rs 30 lakh as extortion money from an old businessman Madhusudan Chakraborty in Salt Lake on Tuesday.

The resident of BD-354 at Sector I alleged at Kolkata Press Club that Mr Dutta ordered him to pay Rs 30 lakh for the assembly elections in Tripura.

Showing video footages, the 55-year-old businessman claimed, “Mr Dutta told me that he needed Rs 1 crore to be spent in Tripura. On February 7, he called me in between 1 pm and 1.30 pm to say that he took the money from someone else, but still said he would need money at around 4 pm on February 12. I paid him Rs 2.30 lakh, collected by Bidyut Ganguly, who was sent to me by Mr Dutta.”

Mr Chakraborty alleged, “Mr Dutta, however demanded another Rs 30 lakh from me. I told him I would not be able to arrange so much, but I would pay him later. He then threatened me that he would do worst to me if I failed to pay the money. Mr Dutta warned me that even if I complained to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, I would have no wayout as she knows everything.”

He elaborated, “He called me today at around 10.30 am. I told him that I was at a doctor’s clinic, I would call him up after 12 pm. I complained to other Trinamul leaders who advised me against clashing with him.” On Monday, Mr Chakraborty lodged a four-page complaint with the Bidhannagar North police station.

Mr Dutta, entrusted with building Trinamul’s organisation in the neighbouring state in place of Mukul Roy months before his exit and entry into the BJP, however claimed he did not know Mr Chakraborty.

He said, “I do not know him. I am now in Tripura. How do I know him? Do I have any business
relations with him? I fail to recall anyone by such name. Moreover, elections in Tripura are over.”

Mr Dutta asked Mr Chakraborty to release the voice records of his telephonic conversation.

Urban development minister Firhad Hakim said, “I spoke to Sabyasachi who told me he does not know him and he would take legal steps against Mr Chakraborty who is actually a cheat and who has cases against him. Mr Chakraborty has links with a person who switched to BJP from our party.”

He alleged, “The BJP is trying to scuttle Sabyasachi’s effort in Tripura.”Mr Chakraborty was earlier arrested in a cheating case in which he claimed himself to be falsely implicated.