ED arrests close aide of ex-TMC MLA in connection with illegal land grabbing

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The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) arrested a businessman, a close associate of ex-Trinamool Congress MLA Dabsish Kumar, in connection with a case of illegal occupation of land and properties.

The accused identified as Amit Ganguly has about 23 FIRs filed against him by the West Bengal Police, mostly in South 24 Parganas and other neighboring districts. Most of these cases involve repeated involvement in criminal activity in order to dispose of property by fraudulent and illegal means.

According to ED officials, Mr. Ganguly was summoned to the ED office for questioning on Tuesday (September 15, 2026). He was later arrested after failing to provide satisfactory answers to investigators’ questions.

“Amit Ganguly has gained control over properties belonging to various individuals and entities through various illegal methods. These methods include the use of forged board resolutions, fabricated sale agreements containing forged signatures, fabricated deeds and other documents, manipulation of land records, initiation of civil proceedings on false or fabricated claims, denial of legal claims of said persons and pursuit of their legitimate rights against land owners and physical violence.

Ahead of the State Assembly elections, the agency had raided Mr. Ganguly’s house in connection with the same case in March. The next day they also questioned the MLA.

Mr. Kumar was TMC MLA from Rasbehari constituency in Kolkata and also served as Mayor in Kolkata Municipal Corporation. However, he lost to BJP minister Swapan Dasgupta in the last election in May.

Tuesday’s development comes just a week after West Bengal police also arrested another close associate of Mr. Kumar, Ashok Das, of Kolkata’s Rasbehari Class, for allegedly forging documents, extorting and cheating and threatening to take over a city club.

After the regime change in West Bengal, hundreds of Trinamool leaders and former and sitting MLAs, including Debo Prasad Baga, Sabyasachi Dutta and Tapan Chattopadhyay, were arrested on charges of corruption and extortion.

Published – 16 Sep 2026 11:48 IST