TMC councillor Ranjan Poddar arrested in alleged Salt Lake extortion racket
The Statesman | 21 May 2026
The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor of Ward No. 34, Ranjan Poddar, who is also the chairman of Borough V, was arrested late on Wednesday by the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate on charges of alleged extortion and intimidation.
He was arrested by a team from Bidhannagar North Police Station in connection with an alleged extortion racket operating in the Karunamoyee bus stand area of Salt Lake.
Police also arrested Rana Haldar, described by investigators as a close aide of the councillor. Poddar is widely regarded in political circles as a close associate of former fire and emergency services minister and senior TMC leader Sujit Bose, who was earlier arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the municipal recruitment scam.
According to a senior officer of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, several hawkers, traders and bus operators in and around the Karunamoyee bus terminus were allegedly forced to pay money over a prolonged period in order to continue operating in the area.
“We had received a complaint and acted on it,” the officer told UNI.
Police had questioned Haldar earlier this week. During interrogation, investigators allegedly uncovered details of a wider extortion network linked to the area.
Officers claimed that Haldar disclosed that collections were being made under the instructions of Councillor Ranjan Poddar and that a portion of the money allegedly reached him directly.
Police are now examining whether a structured system existed for collecting money from hawkers, traders and transport operators. Investigators are also trying to determine whether other individuals were linked to the alleged racket.
Both Poddar and Haldar will be produced before the Bidhannagar Court on Thursday.