Bengal former IPS officer's husband arrested in extortion case

The West Bengal CID on Tuesday arrested former West Midnapore district police chief Bharati Ghosh's husband M.A.V. Raju in an extortion case, after his anticipatory bail was rejected by the Calcutta High Court, a CID officer said.

The High Court had rejected Raju's bail plea in connection with the probe into a case of alleged extortion and illegal exchange of banned notes for gold in West Midnapore district's Daspur.

The Criminal Investigation Department had earlier arrested four police officers who had worked under Ghosh and the caretaker of an apartment in south Kolkata, suspected to be owned by her, in the case.

More than Rs 2.4 crore, important government documents and sealed liquor bottles were seized during raids at a number of flats in south Kolkata's Madurdaha.

A large amount of unaccounted cash was also seized from the houses of several police officers named in the FIR.

The CID raids started following a case of extortion and criminal conspiracy was lodged in Daspur on February 1 after gold trader Chandan Majhi complained against some police officers in the district thought to be close to Ghosh.

Ghosh, once a favourite of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, reportedly fell from grace and sought voluntary retirement after she was transferred as Commandant of West Bengal Armed Police's 3rd Battalion. Her application was accepted.

The CID issued arrest warrant against her on February 10 on the charges of extortion and criminal conspiracy and sent teams outside the state to look for her.-  IANS