Four persons, including a youth Trinamool leader, were arrested in Behala's Sarsuna on Monday after a resident lodged a complaint, alleging that they were involved in extortion when the Trinamool Congress government was in power.
One of the youths was beaten up by local people before his arrest.
A resident said Tapan Biswas, one of the four arrested, was the president of Ward 127 Trinamool Youth Congress.
"Biswas used to extort money from people. If someone were selling a property, they would demand money from both the seller and the buyer. If someone were building a home, he would send his people and demand money," a woman alleged.
"He would demand money even from people living in hutments," she said.
Biswas had also forcibly occupied the premises of a local club, alleged a woman.
Another woman alleged that youth leader had a stall selling potatoes in Sarsuna's Sonali Park and used to run his extortion racket from there.
"A stash of Aadhaar cards and PAN cards was found in the stall," said a woman.
An officer of Sarsuna police station said Biswas and three others were arrested on Monday. "We had received a complaint of extortion against Biswas and his aides," said an officer.
Residents also alleged that Biswas was a close aide to Malobika Baidya, the Trinamool councillor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation's Ward 127.
Baidya denied the allegations.
"I am a councillor for only four-and-a-half years. Biswas had been the Trinamool youth president in the ward even before I became a councillor. I had even complained about him to the party. There were talks that he may be removed after the elections," said Baidya.