Ex-TMC pradhan Sraban Kumar Das arrested for contractor extortion

A man named Sraban Kumar Das used to be the head of a village council, called a panchayat, in Malda district.

He was a member of a political group called the Trinamool Congress.

Police say he took money from contractors by promising them government work.

These contractors paid him hoping to get contracts for building jobs.

But many of them say they never got the work that was promised.

One contractor, Wasim Akram, said he paid about 2.20 lakh rupees and still got nothing.

When the contractors asked for their money back, Das is accused of threatening them.

The police arrested him, presented him in court in Chanchal, and the court sent him to police custody.

Das also faces accusations of taking other people's land.

Leaders from different political parties have different opinions about the case.