The driver of Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillor and Trinamool Congress leader Sushanta Ghosh was arrested by a city police team near the Bengal-Odisha border in West Midnapore on Friday.

Police officers suspect that Ghosh and some of his associates have fled the state.

Ghosh, the councillor of Ward 108, has been accused by a hawkers’ association near the EM Bypass-Ruby crossing of extorting around ₹3 crore.

According to the allegations, hawkers were charged ₹3-4 lakh each for permission to set up stalls along the stretch between the Urbana housing complex and the Ruby crossing.

“According to the complaint, Ghosh had extorted money from hundreds of hawkers to allow them to do business on that stretch,” a police officer said.

A formal complaint was lodged against him with the Anandapur police station on May 29.

“We received information that Ghosh was in Puri and might flee the city soon. A raid was conducted on Thursday, but he and his associates managed to escape,” said an officer of Kolkata Police.

“However, based on information, his car was intercepted at Belda, where his driver was detained and, after a prolonged interrogation, arrested at Anandapur police station on Friday,” said an officer.

The driver has been identified as Sujit Kumar Chowdhury, the police said.

It is alleged that Chowdhury used to collect money from the hawkers on Ghosh’s behalf.

Ghosh had been one of the prominent councillors of the Trinamool Congress, known for his proximity to the party’s top leaders.

Ghosh was the chairman of Borough 12 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, from which he resigned in May.

He was also the chief election agent of Mamata Banerjee when she had contested against Suvendu Adhikari in Nadigram in the 2021 Assembly elections.

A few years ago, there was a foiled assassination attempt on him when a biker tried to open fire at Ghosh sitting outside his home in Kasba.

Ghosh was saved after the gun malfunctioned. The shooter was caught.

Several Trinamool Congress councillors have been arrested since the BJP came to power.

Most of the councillors have been charged with extortion, while some have been charged with crimes against women.

The police said Ghosh has been charged with extortion, criminal conspiracy and common intention.

His driver, Chowdhury, has been booked under the same sections.