The seizure of over Rs 1.02 crore from a premises identified as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) office in West Bengal's Diamond Harbour has triggered a political confrontation, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari targeting Abhishek Banerjee and the TMC alleging that the cash was planted to implicate the party.
Police recovered Rs 1,02,79,000 from the premises in Sarisha, South 24 Parganas, after questioning Sumit Roy, personal assistant to TMC national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee. Roy is currently in police custody in connection with an alleged land-grabbing and soil-theft case.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Zonal) of Diamond Harbour Police District, Abhishek Majumdar, confirmed the seizure during a media briefing on Wednesday. He said during Roy's questioning, the police got a clue, after which a search at the location was carried out.
Officers are now investigating where the money came from, who owned it and the transactions linked to it. Detectives are still trying to establish the identity of those using the premises and why so much cash was stored there.
How The Cash Recovery Became A Political Flashpoint
Reacting to the seizure, CM Adhikari alleged that the recovered money belonged to Abhishek Banerjee, whom he referred to as 'bhatija' (nephew). He also warned that those responsible would face action, expressing confidence in the state police's investigation.
"This is money of the 'bhatija' (nephew). This is just a small amount. It has been 6 months since the formation of a new Govt. Maybe this (money) was outside their list as it is just a small amount for them. This is not even what the 'bhatija' (nephew) earns in an hour. The minions of the 'bhatija' (nephew) earn this in a day...Action will be taken. There is law. West Bengal Police is very capable and is working,” ANI quoted the CM.
Meanwhile, Abhishek Banerjee rejected the circumstances surrounding the recovery and accused the police administration of deliberately planting evidence to target the TMC. In a post on X, he claimed that the premises had been vandalised six months ago and questioned the recovery of cash from the property.
The TMC has also disputed the description of the premises as an active party office, claiming it was handed back to its landlord after the alleged vandalism in May.
The competing claims have added a political dimension to the investigation, even as police have yet to establish ownership and the source of the Rs 1.02 crore recovered from the premises.