Biswajit Poddar, alias 'Sona Pappu', has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in Kolkata for alleged money laundering and involvement in illegal land dealings, intensifying the investigation into land grabbing and extortion activities.
Key Points
- Biswajit Poddar, also known as 'Sona Pappu', was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering probe.
- The investigation is related to alleged illegal land dealings and extortion in south Kolkata.
- Poddar's arrest follows the arrest of a senior Kolkata Police officer in the same case.
- Investigators claim to have found financial links between Poddar, a police official, and a businessman.
- Poddar is alleged to have operated an organised syndicate involved in extortion and land-related intimidation.
The Enforcement Directorate arrested Biswajit Poddar alias 'Sona Pappu' on Monday night after a marathon interrogation in connection with a money laundering probe linked to alleged illegal land dealings and extortion in south Kolkata, officials said.
This came days after the ED arrested a senior officer of the Kolkata Police in connection with the case. Poddar, who was absconding for nearly three months, appeared before the federal probe agency at the CGO Complex in Salt Lake earlier on Monday.
"After sustained interrogation for almost nine hours, he was placed under arrest. There were consistent instances of non-cooperation during the investigation," an ED official told PTI.
Details of the Land Grabbing Investigation
According to sources in the federal probe agency, Poddar had been served five summonses earlier in connection with the probe pertaining to alleged land grabbing, extortion and illegal financial transactions in areas such as Kasba, Tiljala and Topsia of Kolkata.
Investigators claimed they found evidence of direct financial links between Poddar and arrested Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas, as well as businessman Joy S Kamdar.
The ED Biswas last week, while Kamdar was held in April.
Before entering the ED office, Poddar denied all allegations against him. "I am not involved in any land-grabbing activity, and there is no police complaint against me," he told reporters.
Allegations Against 'Sona Pappu'
ED officials alleged that Pappu operated an organised syndicate involved in extortion and land-related intimidation in several pockets of south Kolkata.
His name had first surfaced prominently in 2015 in connection with a violent clash at the Ballygunge rail yard. Investigators said multiple criminal allegations had subsequently surfaced against him, including a murder case in 2017 and an alleged attack on rival Munna Pandey outside Presidency Jail in 2021.
Further Investigation Details
The agency is now probing whether influential individuals or other senior police officials had facilitated the alleged large-scale financial transactions linked to the syndicate, sources added.
