Kolkata: Sting-wary Madan Mitra files complaint, three held

KOLKATA: The Ballygunge police have arrested three persons — two from Belgharia and one from Khardah — for allegedly trying to record a video of former Trinamool minister Madan Mitra on his office premises in the Ballygunge area. Mitra, who himself lodged the complaint, stated that the accused had “wrongfully trespassed” his office on Ballygunge Circular Road and were recording the videos to deliberately extort from him.
The accused have been identified as Ankan Datta, 21, Sanjay Chakraborty, 50, and Mrinal Mukherjee, 48. According to cops, Datta is a college student. The accused have been charged under various IPC sections pertaining to house trespass, putting a person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy. DC (SED) Debasmita Das confirmed the arrests.
Speaking to TOI, Mitra said he received a call from an unknown number and one of the accused sought to meet him. The accused said they were from Belgharia, his constituency. “I told them to come to my Ballygunge office as I am not well and not visiting my constituency at the moment. They said they needed to discuss some personal issues and requested others to leave. The accused then spoke about helping professionally, but I realized one of them was from BJP. My colleague who came in pointed out the accused were video recording everything and my PSOs confirmed it. I have now handed them over to cops. No one is above the law,” Mitra said.
In a Facebook video released by Mitra, he claimed Datta introduced himself as a pass-out from a reputable university who wanted to join Trinamool, Mukherjee claimed he wanted to return to the party. Chakraborty introduced himself as an advocate. It was during a 45-minute conversation at the Automobile Association of Eastern India office, of which Mitra is the president, that the accused tried to record him. “I have been a victim of dirty sting politics before and I was asked by my party leaders to be watchful. I have now caught them red-handed,” Mitra said.
Some Trinamool workers claimed the main opposition party was behind this “unsuccessful sting”, though they have not produced any evidence so far. Cops said a further probe was needed to ascertain if the accused were working on behalf of someone else. Cops are likely to send the mobile phones of the accused to forensic experts, said sources.