- DCP Shantanu Sinha Biswas was arrested in a money laundering probe linked to a criminal syndicate
- Biswas was questioned for over 10 hours by the ED before being taken into custody
- The probe involves Sona Pappu, a criminal accused of land grabbing and extortion
A top Kolkata Police officer has been arrested in connection with a money laundering probe linked to a criminal syndicate. Shantanu Sinha Biswas, Deputy Commissioner of Police, had appeared for questioning at the Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s office at CGO Complex in Kolkata this morning. He was taken into custody after over 10 hours of interrogation and will be produced in court tomorrow.
The arrest assumes significance since Biswas had earlier been the officer-in-charge at the Kalighat Police Station, covering the area where former chief minister Mamata Banerjee resides.
A lookout had been issued against him after he evaded multiple ED summons.
The BJP tagged the development as continuing action against the corrupt in Bengal under the new government.
"Under BJP rule in West Bengal led by Suvendu Adhikari, the dirty nexus between criminals and administration will end," said party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari.
DCP Colluded With Criminal?
The ED wanted to question Biswas as part of a money laundering probe into an alleged criminal-linked syndicate run by Sona Pappu alias Biswajit Poddar, who is involved in land grabbing, extortion, and financial fraud in the real estate sector.
Poddar, a notorious criminal facing at least 15 cases of attempted murder, extortion, and Arms Act violations, is still at large.
The allegations include a multi-crore hawala racket and collusion with politicians and police officials. Poddar and his syndicate had allegedly defrauded people under the guise of construction projects and forcibly encroached upon their land.
The ED had earlier raided premises linked to him in Anandapur, Alipore, and Ballygunje in Kolkata.
The agency suspects that DCP Biswas had links to Sona Pappu. The ED has evidence indicating his involvement in this case, officials said.
They raided Biswas' house on Fern Road last month in this connection. The ED officers who began the search early in the morning left the DCP's residence late around 2 am.
A day later, Biswas and his two sons were summoned to the CGO complex, but none of them appeared.
Last month, the DCP was also summoned in a sand smuggling probe, but his lawyer visited the ED office instead and sought time from the agency.
