Dramatic scenes unfolded in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Thursday after a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader was caught by locals, assaulted and handed over to police over accusations of extortion and intimidation.
The accused, identified as Manik Patra, is also the brother-in-law of Dhaniakhali MLA Asima Patra. He was detained from the busy Shibaichandi vegetable market in Dhaniakhali after traders and farmers allegedly confronted him over the collection of illegal payments, popularly referred to as “cut money”.
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Videos from the spot, which have since circulated widely on social media, showed angry locals surrounding Patra. In one of the clips, a woman is seen repeatedly slapping him as a crowd raises slogans and accuses him of harassing traders and farmers.
According to local residents, Patra had allegedly been collecting money from farmers, vegetable vendors and small traders operating in the market area for a long time. Those who refused to pay were allegedly subjected to threats and intimidation.
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Locals further alleged that Patra would use coercive tactics to enforce the collection of money and, in some instances, even brandish a firearm to scare them. Tensions escalated on Thursday when a group of farmers reportedly refused to pay, triggering a confrontation at the market.
As news of the incident spread, local residents and BJP workers gathered at the site and surrounded the accused leader before alerting the police. Officers soon arrived and took Patra into custody.
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Sources in the Hooghly Rural Police confirmed that Manik Patra was arrested on the basis of a specific complaint.
He has been booked on charges related to extortion, criminal intimidation and allegedly threatening people with a firearm.
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The incident quickly sparked a political firestorm, with BJP leaders targeting the ruling Trinamool Congress. BJP MLAs Tushar Majumdar of Pandua and Swaraj Mukherjee of Saptagram later visited the Dhaniakhali police station.
Speaking to reporters, Majumdar alleged that a network of extortion had been operating in the area for years. He claimed that money was being collected from everyone, from established traders to small roadside vendors, and suggested that more influential figures could be linked to the racket.