0 months ago
Dum Dum realtor assaulted, office ransacked in alleged extortion bid
Some people went to a man's office one night and asked him for a very big amount of money.
The man, Amarnath Singh, builds houses in a place called Dum Dum.
He said no, because he was not doing anything wrong.
The people got angry, broke things in his office, and hit him on the head with a gun.
They took his money and two phones and ran away.
The police are now looking for all the people who did this, and they have caught one of them.
Some people say the attackers support a political group called the BJP.
The leaders of that group say they are angry about the attack and will kick out anyone who does such bad things.
Even so, the news says the group has had a hard time stopping people from demanding money.
The police are still trying to find the person who planned the whole attack.
Realtor Amarnath Singh was allegedly attacked by a group of 14 BJP supporters who demanded ₹5 lakh and ransacked his Dum Dum office.
Singh was struck on the head with the butt of a firearm and lost consciousness, while the attackers took cash and two mobile phones.
Police identified 10 of the 14 accused and arrested Biswajit Roy, 34, with the alleged mastermind still being sought.
The attack came days after state BJP leaders, including president Samik Bhattacharya, warned party workers against extortion and criminal activity.
The BJP government has struggled to rein in extortion rackets since taking power in May and has suspended workers over related allegations.
- Who
- Amarnath Singh, owner of Amarnath Construction, was attacked; Biswajit Roy has been arrested and police are hunting for the alleged mastermind.
- What
- A group of alleged BJP supporters demanded ₹5 lakh in extortion, assaulted Singh with a gun butt and ransacked his office.
- Where
- Amarnath Singh's office on PK Guha Road in Dum Dum; he is developing a property in Ward 3 of the South Dum Dum Municipality.
- When
- Around 8.20pm on Monday night; one accused was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday.
- Why
- The attackers allegedly demanded ₹5 lakh as extortion for a new property development project Singh had started.
Critics of the BJP
BJP leadership
Party involvement in the attack
Critics of the BJP
The attackers were identified as BJP supporters, and critics note the party has struggled to rein in extortion networks since taking power in May, with the alleged mastermind reportedly promising to handle political fallout.
BJP leadership
BJP leaders say the party has zero tolerance for extortion, that offenders will be expelled, and that it does not strike deals over extortion or share proceeds.
Progress against extortion
Critics of the BJP
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya admitted the party had not completely contained syndicate activity and extortion networks, and repeated warnings appear to have had little impact.
BJP leadership
The party launched helplines for extortion complaints, suspended workers who failed to respond to show-cause notices and urged police to take stern action against the accused.
Key facts
- Victim
- Amarnath Singh, owner of Amarnath Construction
- Location
- PK Guha Road, Dum Dum
- Extortion demand
- ₹5 lakh
- Time of attack
- Around 8.20pm on Monday night
- Accused identified
- 10 of 14 alleged attackers
- Person arrested
- Biswajit Roy, 34
- Charges registered
- Extortion, criminal intimidation and assault
- Property location
- Ward 3, South Dum Dum Municipality
Quotes
Amarnath Singh
Owner of Amarnath Construction, the victim of the attack
“Our state president has made it clear that anyone found indulging in such activities will be expelled from the party. We will not say one thing publicly and privately tell people to continue extortion or share the proceeds in a 70:30 ratio.”
telegraphindia.com
“The mastermind is a Dum Dum resident whose wife is also active in politics. Biswajit said the mastermind had assured the group that he would take care of any political fallout from the attack.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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