BALURGHAT, July 26 -- Pradhan of Trinamool Congress-led Patiram Gram Panchayat, Partha Ghosh, and his close associate Asim Kundu, a member of the Balurghat Panchayat Samiti, have been arrested in connection with an alleged job fraud and assault case.
The duo was taken into custody by Patiram Police late on Thursday and produced before a Balurghat court on Friday, which remanded them to five days of judicial custody.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Patiram resident Gaurab Karmakar, who alleged that he paid several lakh rupees after being promised a temporary job at Patiram Jamini Majumdar Memorial College. He named Ghosh, Kundu and Trinamool Chhatra Parishad leader Pankaj Roy among those allegedly involved.
Karmakar claimed the promised job never materialised and that he was threatened and later assaulted while demanding a refund. He alleged that Pankaj Roy, Mainak Saha and two others attacked him at a hotel in the Bolla area, leaving him with a head injury. Police said four accused, including Pankaj Roy and Mainak Saha, remain absconding and efforts are underway to arrest them.
The arrests have sparked a political controversy. Former Trinamool district president Mrinal Sarkar termed the case politically motivated, while BJP Yuva Morcha district president Shubha Chakraborty said the police had acted according to law. The investigation is continuing.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.