There was excitement in Rajarhat-Gopalpur on Thursday after relief materials allegedly meant for public distribution were recovered from the party office of former Trinamul Congress MLA and noted folk singer Aditi Munshi.
The development came after BJP MLA Tarunjyoti Tewari visited the office and supervised what he described as an inspection of the premises. According to Tewari, several rooms in the office were searched, leading to the recovery of tarpaulins, sarees, dhotis and other items allegedly supplied under government relief programmes. “The work that should have been done by the police had to be undertaken by us. A large quantity of relief materials, including tarpaulins and clothing, was found inside the office,” Tewari claimed.
Police from Baguiati police station reached the spot after receiving information about the incident. Allegations have surfaced that relief materials earmarked for distribution among residents were instead stored inside the party office. The BJP legislator further alleged that additional stocks had been removed from the premises before the inspection. Tewari also levelled allegations against Munshi and her husband, Debraj Chakraborty, claiming that materials intended for public welfare had been withheld and stored for other purposes. He further alleged that intoxicating substances were recovered from the premises, though no official confirmation of such a recovery was available till Thursday evening.
In a related development, allegations were raised that documents, buckets and weapons were recovered from an office belonging to Indranath Bagui, described by BJP leaders as a close associate of Debraj Chakraborty and linked to Ward No. 18 of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation. Police reportedly seized the materials for examination this afternoon. The allegations have triggered a fresh political confrontation in the area.
The Trinamul Congress had not issued any official response till the filing of this report. Police said an investigation was underway to ascertain the facts and determine whether any legal violations had occurred.