Former TMC minister arrested on corruption charges in Bengal district

Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) minister Shyamaprasad Mukherjee was on Saturday night arrested by the Bankura district police on charges of corruption involving the Bishnupur municipality where he served as chairman till 2020.

According to a report, it has been alleged that Mukherjee was involved in financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 9.91 crore.

A Bankura court remanded the accused to police custody for five days on Sunday afternoon.

“I have no idea why I was arrested,” Mukherjee said while he was being taken to court.

Mukherjee joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on December 19, 2020 when Suvendu Adhikari and a host of TMC leaders left the ruling party and switched sides.

The former Bengal minister was apprehended following an investigation into allegations of misappropriation of money related to e-tendering and other charges when he was the chairman of Bishnupur municipality, the police officer said.

Meanwhile, BJP's Bishnupur organisational district president Sujit Agasthi said that Mukherjee had joined the saffron party before the Assembly elections in the state but he was not actively involved.

"The allegations against him are of the time when he was in Trinamool Congress. Has the government woken up now?" the BJP leader asked.

Mukherjee switched over to the BJP on December 19 last year along with Suvendu Adhikari and several other TMC leaders.

( With inputs from agencies)