At least three MLAs belonging to the Trinamool Congress have alleged that they have been contacted multiple times by unknown callers seeking to extort money, citing criminal cases against them that they assert are fabricated.

Two of the MLAs have lodged formal complaints. The third said he had informed the police verbally.

Cases referred to as “digital arrest” involve individuals receiving calls from unidentified numbers that pretend to be police officers or officials from central law enforcement agencies, threatening them with arrest unless they pay a sum of money. However, the police have stated that it is “unusual” for three public representatives from the
same district to receive such calls.

According to a complaint lodged by Bivas Sardar, the MLA from Baruipur East, he received a call from an unknown number on October 5.

The caller introduced himself as a police officer from BKC police station in Mumbai. He said that a criminal case was pending against Sardar for which he would be taken into custody unless he paid a substantial amount.

“Such statements and actions have caused me grave mental distress and apprehension, and it is apparent that the intent behind such communication is to induce fear and illegally extract money by misusing the authority and credibility of law enforcement institutions,” Sardar has reported to the police.

The MLA received a similar call a few days later, saying it was from Mumbai cybercrime police and that his name had emerged as an accused who had been disturbing a woman using a specific phone number.

“The caller claimed that the matter could be ‘settled’ against payment,” said an officer of Baruipur Police Directorate, where the MLA has lodged a formal complaint.

Sardar received similar calls over the next few days, he told the police.

The police reported that one such caller informed Sardar of a deposit of ₹3 crore into a bank account in Mumbai in his name, which had been utilised for fraudulent transactions.

“Another caller had told the complainant that his name had emerged as a suspect connected to a terrorist and that a transaction of ₹36 lakh had been made in his favour as part of his collusion with the terror organisation,” the officer said.

Sardar was sent a purported notice which mentioned “Supreme Court” and his alleged involvement in “money laundering” and “human trafficking” cases.

Sardar had received numerous other calls during which the person on the other end of the line professed to be officers of central law enforcement agencies, claiming that he must “return the money” he had illegally earned to the RBI.

“He (the caller) ordered me to stay on a video call with him and asked me to go to the bank, without my security, to transfer money to an account of his choice. I cut the call and blocked all such numbers from where such fraudulent calls were coming,” Sardar reported to the police.

Firdoushi Begum, the MLA of Sonarpur North, and Subrata Mondal, the MLA from Gosaba, also received similar calls.

“I have told everything to the police,” Firdoushi told this newspaper when asked about the complaint.

Mondal said he had informed the police verbally. “I will report it to the police in writing also. I have told everything verbally,” Mondal said.

Baruipur Police Directorate has initiated an investigation into the complaints, a senior officer said.