11,000 held as Mamata cracks whip on real estate syndicate mafia

THE REAL ESTATE SYNDICATES TYPICALLY OPERATE WITH THE PATRONISATION OF LOCAL RULING

PARTY LEADERS

KOLKATA:AcleardirectivefromWest Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to act tough on building material syndicates prompted the police to make an unprecedented numberof arrests—almost11,000— on Monday and seize a number of firearms and bombs throughout the state.

The timing of the arrests was also significant -- just three days before the annual party event on July 21 in Kolkata, when the chief minister is expected to drive home the point that she will not tolerate indiscipline by party workers, many of whom are involved in such activities.

On Monday morning, Banerjee directed all the officers of the chief ministers’ office (CMO) to act immediately and without mercy on all the complaints related to extortion and real estate syndicaterelated menace. These syndicates typically operate with the patronisation of local ruling party leaders and force those building or repairing their houses to buy raw materials from them. This translates to poor quality material being forced down the throats of the buyers at a premium.

Within hours of the chief minister’s direction, additional director general (law & order) Anuj Sharma informed the media that around 11,000 people related to the menace were arrested. “The police have arrested around 1,000 persons against whom there were prior warrants. Apart from that, we have made 9,972 preventive arrests. We have also seized 781 bombs and 85 guns,” Sharma said.

The crackdown seemed to be imminent when a few days ago Banerjee ordered the arrest of one of her party councillors -Anindya Chatterjee -- for trying to extort money from residents of his ward. “The CM lamented that it was quite unfortunate that the police acts only after cases of extortion and other syndicate-related menace are brought to her notice. She said any complaints received by the CMO should be acted upon immediately and without leniency,” said a state government officer.

Congress legislator and leader of Opposition in West Bengal, Abdul Mannan, however, said such developments were just eyewash. “She (Mamata) is trying to be in the limelight through the arrest of Bidhannagar councillor Anindya Chatterjee. But there are thousands of such Anindyas in her own party,” Mannan said.