Senior TMC leader and Bengal former minister Udayan Guha was pelted with eggs by protesters outside the Dinhata Police Station in Cooch Behar on Thursday as he was escorted to a prison van for production before a court, a day after his arrest in connection with alleged financial irregularities linked to the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
Wearing a helmet, Guha was shielded from direct hits to his face, though several eggs struck his body as he walked towards the vehicle amid heavy police security. A large crowd had gathered outside the police station, shouting slogans while police personnel formed a security cordon around him.
"I do not even know why I have been arrested," Guha told reporters.
Guha, a senior TMC leader from Cooch Behar and former North Bengal Development minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, was arrested on Wednesday from an apartment in Kolkata's Phoolbagan area, where he had been staying since losing the Dinhata assembly seat to the BJP in the 2026 elections.
According to police, a complaint accused Guha of involvement in financial irregularities related to the PMAY scheme. He has been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy.
"There was a complaint lodged against the former minister alleging his involvement in financial irregularities in connection with the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. There are other cases, too, against him, and action will accordingly be taken," a Cooch Behar district police officer said.
The complainant alleged that Guha had siphoned off money meant for the housing scheme since 2016.
Separate allegations have also surfaced over an alleged fund-collection drive in 2021 for a child care initiative. A complainant claimed that Guha collected money from local businessmen, government employees and teachers for the project but failed to implement it as promised.
“Guha raised some Rs 30-35 crore for that project, but never implemented more than five per cent of what he promised to do,” the complainant told television channels.
“I was forced to donate Rs 25,000 for Guha’s project, but his men later gave me a money receipt for only Rs 10,000. When I tried to lodge a complaint about this in the police station, they picked me up and threatened me with dire consequences. I mustered the courage to file a fresh complaint against him since his party has been thrown out of power,” he alleged.
The BJP claimed its workers in Dinhata had faced years of political violence during Guha's tenure in power. Local BJP leader Jibesh Biswas alleged that opposition activists in the area were subjected to intimidation, attacks and looting between 2016 and 2026.
Guha, the son of veteran Forward Bloc leader Kamal Guha, joined the Trinamool Congress in 2016 after leaving the Forward Bloc. He represented the Dinhata constituency from 2011 to 2021 and won the 2021 bypoll from the seat by a record margin of over 1.64 lakh votes. However, he lost the constituency to BJP candidate Ajay Ray by more than 17,000 votes in the 2026 assembly elections.
He is the fourth minister from the previous Mamata Banerjee-led government to be arrested since the BJP-led government assumed office in the state following the 2026 assembly elections.
Senior TMC leader Saugata Roy questioned the timing of the arrest and alleged political vendetta.
“If he is found guilty, law will certainly take its own course. But, this government is vindictive and is arresting TMC leaders right, left and centre. I will not be surprised if this is latest arrest is a reflection of that attitude,” Roy said.
