Police in Murshidabad arrested Prasenjit Ghosh, the chairman of the Trinamool-run Jiaganj-Azimganj municipality, one of the oldest municipalities in Murshidabad district, early on Thursday based on a complaint filed by an official of the civic body that several illegal constructions came up in the civic area on Ghosh’s watch.
Sources said that around 5pm on Wednesday, a BJP delegation went to the municipality to submit a memorandum to Ghosh on various issues, including the mushrooming of alleged illegal constructions.
They launched a demonstration and confined the chairman. In due course, more BJP workers joined them. Ghosh remained confined till late at night. Around 1am, a police team reached the spot.
Bhasbor Roy, executive officer of the civic body, filed a complaint against him. Acting on the complaint, police arrested Ghosh, who was whisked away to the police station. Three of his associates, known to be Trinamool workers, were also nabbed with him.
Later on Thursday, all four were produced at a local court in Lalbagh.
The court heard the case and ordered two days in police custody for Ghosh and 14 days in judicial custody for the other three.
Councillor arrested
The police in North Dinajpur arrested Asim Adhikari, the former Trinamool councillor of ward 25 of Raiganj municipality, on Thursday in connection with multiple charges ranging from extortion, assault and land grabbing.
A police source said that some residents filed complaints against Asim. Based on them, the police took him to the Raiganj police station for interrogation. He was arrested as cops found inconsistencies in his statements.
Police sources said Adhikari would be produced in the district court on Friday.
As news spread, tensions rose in ward 25, but the police and central forces brought the situation under control.
Officebearers resign
Prasenjit Kar, the chairman, and Mampi Adhikary, the vice-chairman of the Trinamool-run Alipurduar municipality, resigned from their posts on Thursday. Both submitted their resignation letters to the executive officer of the civic body.
During the last municipal elections, the Trinamool Congress won 16 wards in the 20-member civic board. Of the rest four, the Congress won one ward and Independents won three. Later, the three Independents also joined Trinamool.
“In the 2026 Assembly elections, Trinamool performed poorly in Alipurduar town. Taking full responsibility for the defeat, I have resigned,” said Kar.
Additional reporting by our Alipurduar correspondent