Who is Swarup Biswas? Former Bengal minister Aroop Biswas’ brother arrested; what are the charges against him? | Today’s news
Kolkata police on Thursday arrested Swarup Biswas, brother of former West Bengal minister Aroop Biswas, in connection with a case registered at New Alipore police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police said the case was filed on the basis of a complaint filed by Simran Pal.
Who is Swarup Biswas?
Swarup Biswas is a leader of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and was the influential president of the Federation of Film Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI) until December 2025, according to The Indian Express. He is also involved in Kolkata’s sports and cultural circles through his role as an official of the Suruchi Sangha, one of the city’s best-known Durga Puja organizing clubs.
Swarup had come under fire months ago from several leading film technicians, directors and actors who alleged the existence of a toxic “ban culture” in the Bengali film industry. Members of the Tollywood fraternity have accused the FCTWEI leadership during his tenure of censuring, boycotting or blacklisting professionals who were allegedly perceived to be insufficiently aligned with the ruling TMC or who refused to meet certain demands.
What are the allegations against Swarup Biswas?
Case vide New Alipore PS Case No. 88 dated 04.06.26 u/s 75(1(ii)/308(4)/308(5)/109/351(3)/61 BNS, 2023 read with Arms Act 25/27 was recorded on the basis of the complainant named on the basis of the letter of the accused person namely Simran namely the complaint on the complainant’s FIR. Biswas (51), S/o Late Gosai Lal Biswas of 0/5, Durgapur Colony, Kolkata-53, New Alipore, was arrested from Sahapur Colony, Kolkata-53 at about 09:00 PM on 04.06.26 after complying with all legal formalities,” Kolkata Police said.
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His arrest followed allegations of sexual harassment and blackmail by a make-up artist who filed a police complaint, The Indian Express reported.
According to the complainant, she had been unemployed for almost two years when she approached Swarup Biswas and his associates at Suruchi Sangha in New Alipore on 20 August 2025 for help in finding a job. She alleged that Biswas, who headed an organization of make-up artists, demanded money in exchange for helping her secure a job.
The complaint further states that when she approached Biswas again on April 4 this year, she was allegedly told that getting the job would require her to make sexual compromises. A police officer said that after she rejected the alleged proposal, Biswas and his associates were accused of trying to kill her at her residence on April 10.
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The make-up artist alleged that Biswas, a prominent and influential figure in both the Bengali film industry and regional politics, extorted large sums of money from her and several of her colleagues by invoking promises of welfare and job opportunities.
According to her complaint, Biswas was allegedly picked up ₹22 lakhs from multiple individuals on the pretext of providing jobs. She also claimed that in one instance last December he took ₹45,000 from one of her colleagues with the assurance of securing a job.
FIR against Aroop Biswas
This comes after Satadru Dutta, the main organizer of Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour-Kolkata Edition, filed an FIR against former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas for alleged extortion, criminal intimidation, abuse of influence and illegal misappropriation and sale of free tickets, accreditation cards and accreditation cards held with high proximity to the event last year.
A First Information Report (FIR) registered by Satadru Dutta, chief organizer of Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour-Kolkata Edition, at the Bidhannagar South police station sought an investigation against Aroop Biswas and others accused of involvement in the distribution and monetization of event access materials issued for the GOAT India Tour – by Lharati V. Messiranand on the headline of Yuuyuannaya Lharati V. on December 13 last year.
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According to Dutta Aroop, the then sports minister, he repeatedly sought large numbers of free tickets, accreditation cards and proximity cards and allegedly pressured the organizers to meet these demands.
“During the organization of the event, Aroop Biswas, the then Sports Minister, repeatedly demanded a substantial number of free tickets, accreditation cards and proximity cards and kept threatening and pressurizing me that without his intervention the event would not be allowed to run smoothly and would face serious hurdles,” the FIR said.
