An group of unidentified persons was booked for allegedly demanding extortion money from a man who was building a house in Bhangar, South 24 Parganas, and then bulldozing it when he refused to pay the amount, police said on Tuesday. No arrests have been made in the case so far. Sources said Sukumar Ghosh had been getting a house built in Bhangar and on Monday night a group of people allegedly visited the site to seek extortion money. “When Ghosh refused to pay the money, they warned him that he would get his house demolished. Despite the warning, Ghosh continued with the construction. Late Monday night, the group of men returned with a JCB machine and bulldozed the under-construction house and its boundary,” a police officer said. On Tuesday morning, Ghosh filed an FIR at the Leather Complex police station against unidentified persons. “There were reports that the accused were alleged supporters of the ruling TMC,” said a source. Denying the charge, TMC leader Arabul Islam said, “If anybody did this by using TMC’s name, the party will take stern action against them. However, I have heard that the particular land is under litigation, so it should be investigated how construction work started on the property in the first place.”
