Kolkata, Jul 8 (PTI) A man posing as an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer was arrested for allegedly threatening and attempting to extort money from former Kolkata councillor Monalisa Banerjee by claiming he could implicate her in a fabricated money laundering case, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Yudhajit Ghosh, was arrested by personnel of Rabindra Sarobar police station from a cafe on Motilal Nehru Road near Deshapriya Park, they said.
The incident came to light on Tuesday evening when Banerjee, the former councillor of ward 49, called the police around 7 pm, alleging that a man was threatening and wrongfully restraining her inside the cafe.
A police team immediately rushed to the spot and apprehended Ghosh, a resident
of Kailash Ghosh Road in Haridevpur, who is currently living in rented accommodation at Government Colony in Regent Park.
According to the preliminary investigation, Ghosh allegedly introduced himself as a senior ED officer and falsely claimed that Banerjee’s name had surfaced in a money laundering case.
Police said he allegedly demanded a large sum of money, assuring her that her name would be removed from the purported case if she paid. He also allegedly threatened that she would be arrested if she refused.
“A prompt response team reached the location immediately after receiving the distress call. The accused has been arrested, and a case has been registered. We are investigating whether he has targeted others using a similar modus operandi,” a senior police officer said.
Police said investigators are trying to ascertain the full extent of the alleged fraud and whether Ghosh was part of a larger network involved in similar offences.
Banerjee, a TMC leader, alleged that she had been targeted as part of a criminal conspiracy to extort money and tarnish her reputation.
“Today, I stand before you not just as a former public representative, but as a victim of an alleged criminal conspiracy to extort, intimidate, and defame me by misusing the name of the Enforcement Directorate. It is shocking that for a mere amount of money, some individuals are willing to commit such serious crimes, destroy reputations and spread fabricated stories for vested interests,” she said.
“I want to make it absolutely clear that I will never bow to blackmail, extortion or intimidation. Truth will prevail, and those who misuse institutions, spread falsehoods and attempt to malign public representatives must be held accountable,” she added. PTI SCH SOM
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