TMC councillor Swapan Samaddar arrested in 2021 post-poll violence case

As he was being taken to the police station, locals reportedly threw eggs at Samaddar and started raising “chor, chor” (thief) slogans against him.

With Samaddar’s arrest, a total 10 councilors of the Kolkata MC have so far been arrested by the police.

BJP worker ‘murder’ case

BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar was allegedly murdered in Kolkata’s Kankurgachi, the day the results of the 2021 Assembly elections were declared on May 2. The family alleged that he was strangled and brutally beaten to death after the results. Before his death, Abhijit had also gone live on Facebook, claiming he and his pets were under attack.

Initially, the Narkeldanga police station took charge of the investigation into the case, but later, on the orders of the Calcutta High Court, the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The police had initially filed a chargesheet against 15 people. In its supplementary chargesheet in September 2021, the CBI had added another five accused.

The list included the names of Beleghata MLA and TMC bigwig Paresh Pal, then Basti Mayor Swapan Samaddar, and Ward 30 councillor Papiya Ghosh.

Speaking to The Indian Express after Samaddar’s arrest, Biswajit Sarkar, brother of the slain Abhijit Sarkar said, “He (Samaddar) had killed my brother, taken away everything from us, and finished our family. He and his men used to threaten us and have assaulted me also. We have fought for justice for my brother. They (the accused) should get stringent punishment.”