A construction businessman, Amit Gangopadhyay, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a case involving alleged land grabbing and illegal construction in parts of south Kolkata, according to a report by Anandabazar. The agency is reported to have taken him into custody after alleging that he did not cooperate with questioning.
Gangopadhyay was summoned to the ED office on Tuesday for questioning in connection with allegations against his company. The allegations relate to taking over land in different areas of south Kolkata and developing housing projects on it. The report does not state whether a court has ruled on the allegations, and the claims remain part of an ongoing investigation.
Police had registered 20 first information reports against Gangopadhyay in 2023 in several police stations, including locations in South 24 Parganas, over allegations of land grabbing, fraud and the use of forged documents. The ED subsequently opened a separate investigation based on those cases, the report said.
The case has also widened into questions about political connections and the functioning of the alleged land and construction network. Gangopadhyay is described as being close to former Trinamool Congress legislator Debashis Kumar. The report does not establish that Kumar has been accused in the same manner or that any association amounts to evidence of wrongdoing.
The ED conducted searches at multiple locations in March, shortly before the state Assembly election, as part of the investigation. Information was reportedly recovered from the phones of officials associated with the company as well as during the searches. On the basis of that material, the agency summoned Kumar several times for questioning.
Kumar was called to the Central Government Office Complex on April 1, 3 and 9, where he was questioned for extended periods, according to the report. Searches were also conducted at his residence and office. The supplied report does not provide details of the specific land parcels, the size of any alleged developments, the number of affected buyers or residents, or the legal sections under which Gangopadhyay was arrested.
The arrest places the investigation at the intersection of urban land records, property development and enforcement. In such cases, the legal process must establish ownership, the authenticity of documents, the approvals for construction and the role of each person or entity involved. The ED’s next procedural steps and any court proceedings will determine how the allegations develop.
