The arrest of Paresh Ram Das, the Trinamool Congress MLA from Canning West, has widened a police investigation involving allegations of rape, corruption, political violence and illegal land occupation, with officers reporting the seizure of around Rs 2 lakh in cash and six mobile phones from him at Kolkata airport.
Police said the legislator was detained at the airport on Monday and subsequently arrested. Officers alleged that he had been attempting to leave for Mumbai. The seized cash and phones were taken into custody, and the police said the material, along with the seizure list, would be produced before a court on Tuesday in accordance with legal procedure.
The phones may be examined as part of the investigation, according to the report. Police have also alleged that Das had avoided investigators for several days and had not cooperated with inquiries into cases registered against him. The allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
A civic volunteer employed with the Intelligence Branch was detained alongside Das, police said. The volunteer was posted in the Canning area and allegedly developed contact with the MLA through his work. Investigators suspect that he passed police information to Das and are questioning him about his movements and alleged communications. No finding against the civic volunteer has been established in the supplied report.
The case brings together two separate institutional concerns: allegations against an elected representative and an inquiry into whether someone connected to the police shared confidential information with him. The seizure of multiple phones means investigators are expected to examine communications and other digital material, subject to the applicable legal process.
The report said complaints against Das had emerged before and after the state Assembly election. The allegations included threatening opposition supporters, violence during the election, fraud and occupying land on the Matla riverbed to establish an ashram. A rape complaint was also filed later. According to a police source cited in the report, the complainant alleged that Das took Rs 4 lakh in 2023 on the promise of securing her a panchayat election ticket and raped her at the time. She allegedly submitted a written complaint at a police station in September, saying fear had prevented her from approaching the authorities earlier.
The allegations have not been adjudicated by a court. The arrest and seizures therefore mark investigative steps rather than a finding of guilt. The case also places attention on how police units manage information in politically sensitive investigations, particularly when personnel posted in local areas have direct access to elected representatives.
The report also quoted Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari as saying that there were allegations of land being occupied in South 24 Parganas for an old-age home and that the government would clear illegally occupied land in North and South 24 Parganas. The supplied report does not provide details of any separate enforcement action or a court order concerning those land allegations.
Police said the seized items and the seizure list would be presented before the court on Tuesday. Investigators are continuing to question the detained civic volunteer and examine the cases registered against Das.
