Mamata Banerjee’s TMC worked as a cartel, violence at the centre of its ruling philosophy, manifesting itself as not just a political outfit, but marshalled on the lines of organized crime.
Image: IANS
Since time immemorial, West Bengal politics has been synonymous with violence backed by a syndicate. While the Left governments created this syndicate, it was Mamata Banerjee, who not just inherited and co-opted this syndicate, but also perfected it, made it work like a well-oiled machinery, every cog fitting in the whole of intimidation and cyclical recreation of fear. She held West Bengal in a Stockholm Syndrome grip.
The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) worked as a cartel, violence at the centre of its ruling philosophy, manifesting itself as not just a political outfit, but marshalled on the lines of organized crime.
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Recently arrested Sona Pappu, less known by his real name Biswajit Poddar, was allegedly the linchpin of this criminal syndicate. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on charges of money laundering, land grabbing, running a criminal syndicate and lording over an extensive extortion racket. The ED grilled him for nine straight hours and then placed him under arrest, underlining that he was not cooperating. Pappu is said to be the mastermind of the Kankulia violence
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Sona Pappu was locally called the ‘King’ till very recently. He started with working his father’s jewellery shop in the Picnic Garden area and then ventured allegedly into construction and criminal business in 2010-11, committing a murder Bediadanga in 2017. He is said to have had the political patronage, by that time, of the TMC; used to call himself “untouchable by the law”.
His real business was running a mortgage racket on the muscle of his local gang. His real estate ventures covered posh South Kolkata. He soon, it is claimed, cartelized real estate. According to sources, who want to remain anonymous, at least for now, Sona Pappu was hobnobbing with all the TMC bigwigs; he used to invest TMC money. He was the muscle behind other criminal-political figures who wanted to launder money.
Meanwhile, Pappu’s name had earlier surfaced in connection with violence in the Rabindra Sarovar police station area in February last year. Locals alleged that his associates were involved in clashes and vandalism in the area. While police arrested several individuals following the unrest, they were unable to trace Pappu, who went into hiding.
Despite absconding, Pappu appeared live on Facebook on multiple occasions, denying any involvement in the violence.
The ED, on the other hand, launched on April 1 coordinated raids at six locations across Kolkata, including Pappu’s Ballygunge residence and offices linked to construction companies. Investigators also searched the home of Rahul Das, described as one of Pappu’s close associates.
During one of the searches, officials recovered a firearm from Pappu’s residence. According to ED sources, the foreign-made pistol had allegedly been procured through businessman Jay Kamdar.
At this point we should look at this protagonist of this alleged racket and syndicate—Jay Kamdar.
No Joy for Kamdar
According to sources, Kamdar is an important cog in this criminal enterprise centred around money laundering and extortion and land grabbing. He is a close associate of Sona Pappu. According to sources, Kamdar is the launderer, while Pappu is the muscle. The money they launder allegedly comes from and goes to the TMC. Their names are also linked to high-profile buyouts of several building around the Bhabanipur Education Society College near the house of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Kamdar is also said to run a micro-credit business as a cover for his money laundering activities. One such case is the illegal money lending business run by Pappu and Kamdar in the Gariahat market in Kolkata. Gariahat market is one of South Kolkata’s busiest and most iconic shopping destinations. Located at the intersection of Gariahat Road and Rash Behari Avenue, it is famous for its vibrant street shopping, vast collection of traditional Bengali sarees, gold jewellery, and daily essentials.
There are around 2000 hawkers in the market and they are lent money by this syndicate. According to local sources, this usurious enterprise lends money on a month that may be of 21, 23 or 19 days.
ED says: “Investigation has revealed that Jay S Kamdar was in close contact with Sona Pappu and having huge financial transactions with him. He had also supplied firearms to Smt. Soma Sonar Poddar wife of Sona Pappu @ Biswajit Poddar; however, she has failed to disclose anything relating to the said purchase of the firearms from Jay S. Kamdar or his company.
In addition to above, Jay S. Kamdar is revealed to be involved in extensive illegal international cross border and domestic Hawala transactions through many shell companies which are under further investigation. Investigation by ED has also revealed that Jay S. Kamdar was instrumental in siphoning funds to the tune of more than Rs. 40 Crore from a trust working in the field of education in Kolkata.”
ED adds: “ED’s investigation under PMLA has so far revealed that Proceeds of Crime were generated through illegal activities including extortion, grabbing of real estate properties, unauthorized building construction through entities controlled by Biswajit Podder @ Sona Pappu, Jay S. Kamdar and associates.”
But, where was the money invested? Sona Pappu is part of the racket that complicated the Kolkata real estate scenario. This racket was all about creating layers and layers of fake multiple ownership claims over prime properties, diluting and obfuscating real ownerships. Papers, say sources both public and in the Kolkata Police, were forged. Then this syndicate invited big real estate firms and players to buy these properties or invest in them.
The ‘Merlin’ of land grab
This brings us to the Merlin Group.
The group, controlled by Sushil and Saket Mohta, is under ED scrutiny under PMLA for using the forged land titles and ownership documents for grabbing prime properties.
The Enforcement Directorate had conducted searches at seven locations linked to the Merlin Group in Kolkata on April 8, as part of its ongoing probe. Among the premises raided were the residences of promoter Sushil Mohta and his son Saket Mohta. Properties on Prince Anwar Shah Road and in Salt Lake were also covered during the operation.
The case stems from an FIR registered at Anandapur police station in January this year. The Mohtas, along with several others, have been accused of fraud, forgery, organised criminal activity and criminal conspiracy. These offences carry penalties ranging from five years’ imprisonment to life. The FIR also names senior functionaries of the group, including Dilip Chaudhary, Vikash Memani, Saurav Majumdar and Ranjan Chakraborty.
Investigators allege that the accused created a “false chain of titles” using forged documents to claim ownership of prime land parcels. The complaint was filed by Mohan Chandra Mondal, a resident of Anandapur, who claims these forged papers qualify as “valuable securities” under the law.
According to Mondal, the documents were used repeatedly to falsely establish ownership over high-value immovable assets. He has alleged that these papers were presented as genuine before public authorities, financial institutions and individuals.
Using these documents, the accused are believed to have taken control of land parcels and developed real estate projects. At the centre of the case is a 3.63-acre plot in Anandapur, where a ₹600-crore residential project named ‘Merlin Niyasa’ is currently being developed.
Officials say the Mohtas projected themselves as lawful owners and allegedly siphoned off public investments worth crores. Investigators suspect that several investors were misled into funding projects built on illegally acquired land.
The complaint further states that funds collected from the public, along with assets created from them, may amount to “proceeds of crime”. Officials are examining whether these funds were diverted, including possible transfers abroad, which would attract provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Authorities are also looking into possible links between the group and influential individuals.
Mondal has claimed ownership of the land where ‘Merlin Niyasa’ is being constructed, stating he holds an unbroken chain of title dating back to 1943. He has said that despite approaching the police earlier, no action was taken, prompting him to move court. The court subsequently directed registration of the FIR.
A key element of the case is a purported compromise decree said to have been passed in 1959. However, investigators have found the document to be forged. Officials allege that this document was repeatedly used as a genuine judicial record to establish ownership and justify construction activity at the site.
This is not the first time the Merlin Group has faced legal scrutiny. In September last year, the Calcutta High Court ordered the demolition of a 26-storey tower at Elita Garden Vista in New Town, Kolkata. The tower, promoted among others by Sushil Mohta, was found to have been constructed through fraud, collusion and suppression of facts.
The court’s ruling had raised serious questions about regulatory oversight and highlighted concerns over investor confidence in the state’s real estate sector.
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