Tension prevailed in south Kolkata's New Alipore area on Friday after locals allegedly ransacked a prominent Durga Puja club associated with former West Bengal minister Aroop Biswas and his brother, Swarup, a day after the latter's arrest.
Eyewitnesses said residents gathered outside the club, Suruchi Sangha, before breaking open the locks and entering the building.
Protesters claimed they were shocked by what they found inside, including a room on the upper floor fitted with a king-size bed, air-conditioning facilities and what they described as luxurious amenities.
"Why does a club need a king-size bed and such arrangements? We have never seen anything like this in a community club," said a resident who was among those gathered outside the premises.
The room also contained expensive furnishings and was attached to a well-maintained washroom. Some residents alleged that an air-conditioning unit had recently been removed from the room.
Questions were also raised over the presence of large quantities of government-branded bottled drinking water and other relief materials inside the club premises.
"We found stacks of bottled water meant for public distribution and bundles of sarees that appeared to be relief material. We want to know how these items reached the club," another resident said.
Several protesters alleged misuse of public resources and demanded a thorough investigation into the functioning of the club.
The unrest also spilt onto the streets, with an associate of Swarup Biswas reportedly chased and assaulted by an agitated crowd. Witnesses alleged that he was punched and slapped before taking shelter inside New Alipore police station.
Swarup's arrest reignited long-standing allegations within sections of the Bengali film industry regarding the influence allegedly wielded by the Biswas brothers.
There was no immediate response from the former Bengal minister or representatives of Suruchi Sangha regarding the allegations made by residents or the incidents.
Police on Thursday night arrested Swarup after receiving a complaint from a woman makeup artist from the Bengali film industry.
In her complaint, the woman alleged that she had been denied work for nearly two years and was asked for money in exchange for professional opportunities. She further alleged that she was warned she would not receive future work if she failed to comply.
According to the complaint, she later approached Biswas again seeking employment and was allegedly subjected to molestation.