Another West Bengal cop, close to former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh arrested by CID

KOLKATA: The West Bengal CID today arrested another police officer, considered close to former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh, in connection with alleged misconduct and extortion from civilians, an official of the investigating agency said.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Debashis Das of Paschim Medinipur district was held by the CID sleuths, he said.

Das was named in an FIR lodged by a person alleging that some police personnel had forcefully taken money from him last year.

"At the time of incident of extortion, Das was motor transport officer posted at Jhargram district. We are probing into his role in the entire incident," the CID official said.

The investigating agency had on Tuesday arrested Sub-Inspector Rajsekhar Pain of Paschim Medinipur district in connection with a case relating to misappropriation of Rs 45 lakhs from one businessman in the district, he said.

The CID had also earlier arrested two police officers — Inspector Subhankar De and SI Chitta Pal. Pal was OC of Ghatal police station and De was circle inspector there.

An arrest warrant against Ghosh has been issued by the investigating agency, which had raided residences of the former IPS officer and the two police officers.

Gold jewellery, documents and a large sum of cash were seized from the residences of Ghosh.

Police carried out the raid following a court order after a person complained that some police personnel had forcefully taken money from him last year, the official said.

Ghosh, who was the West Midnapore SP, resigned from the service after she was transferred to a less significant post - the commandant of the third battalion of the state armed police - in late December last year.