Cop crackdown on realty goons in Kasba-Ballygunge

KOLKATA: With most clashes in Kasba linked to the flourishing illegal realty business, south suburban police has launched a major drive to nab extortionists and local toughs acrossrail yard linked to building syndicates. In the past four months, cops have arrested 240 men for illegal construction. In the past three weeks alone, the number of arrests stands at 39.Most of the arrests have been carried out from the politically sensitive wards of 67 and 91.

“Among those arrested during this period are Amardeep Singh, Munna Pandey, Amit Yadav, Liton, Biplab Guha and Minta. All of them have multiple cases pending against them. We are trying to keep these men out of this area through court orders,” said a senior police officer from the division. Sources said those arrested now have stakes in the building material supply buisness.
Police sources said the availability of land in the area has fuelled crime and curbing illegal construction — which is the source of all trouble — was the need of the hour. “There are several political equations at work here but we have been asked to continue the crackdown for some more time,” claimed a source.
According to cops, the trigger for action was a clash at a blood donation camp organized at Dhan Math near Acropolis mall on January 28 that left four men injured. Days ago, gang leader Munna Pandey and his aide Bidhan Sarkar were arrested from near the Bengal-Odisha border near Digha for allegedly firing at a 59-year-old Kasba resident in front of her son. Two more clashes took place this month. In one, a protestor was beaten up for speaking out against obscene behaviour and another over a local Sitala puja.
The current crackdown is restricted to new buildings, said police. KMC officials said the idea of taking action against all illegal buildings was abandoned because it would be a logistical challenge to evict people living in those houses. Police were asked to arrest builders based on KMC complaints and take suo motu action against any offender under Section 401(1) of the CMC Act, 1980, without waiting for an FIR.