A police team visited a club in Ariadaha on Friday along with arrested Trinamool strongman Jayanth Singh and an associate to reconstruct the alleged thrashing of a man and his wife, who were accused of stealing a phone, in the presence of their child three years ago.

Jayanth and Prosen Das are in police custody for allegedly beating up a young man and his mother earlier this month.

But that’s not the only crime Jayanth is accused of.

Several videos of instances of crime allegedly involving Jayanth and his associates have surfaced since his arrest and Friday’s police visit to Ariadaha Taltala Sporting Club, on the northern fringes of the city, was to reconstruct one such incident.

“Some time between February and March 2021, a resident of Ward 8 of Kamarhati Municipality realised that his mobile phone was missing. Some people suspected that the man and his wife had stolen it,” said a senior officer of the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate.

“They were taken to the club and thrashed by Jayanth’s aides, as a video purportedly reveals.”

Ariadaha Taltala Sporting Club was Jayanth’s fief, where he would meet his aides, residents of apartments above the ground-floor club alleged.

Since his arrest, several crimes allegedly involving Jayanth and his men, such as filling a pond, forcibly acquiring land, threatening small businessmen and beating up those opposing him, have surfaced across Kamarhati, around 14km north from the heart of Calcutta.

After the video of the thrashing got considerable traction on social media, the police drew up a case suo motu against the Trinamool strongman and his aides.

Senior officers of Belghoria police station said they found an iron rod inside the club while trying to reconstruct the alleged assault
on the couple by Jayanth’s men.

“Reconstruction of the alleged crime at the place of occurrence is vital for the investigation. Six of the eight men identified from the video have been arrested,” an officer said. “The other two will be picked up soon.”

A day after the young man and his mother were allegedly beaten up, some residents of Ariadaha turned up in front of the club, which was locked, and destroyed the decor outside.

“The police have sealed the club. But the club should be removed so Jayanth and his men can never meet there after they are out on bail,” said Rupali Das, an Ariadaha resident.

A few days ago, Saugata Roy, the Trinamool MP from Dum Dum, alleged that he had received calls threatening to shoot him if Jayanth was not set free.

“The calls came from two numbers. I’ve given the numbers to the police,” Roy said.

The police probe into Jayanth’s alleged criminal activities has turned the spotlight on some of his properties.

The Trinamool strongman is believed to be the owner of a three-storey building that has come on a plot adjoining a water body in Ariadaha. Residents alleged that the building came up after illegally filling a part of the water body.

On Friday, Gopal Saha, the chairman of Kamarhati Municipality, said there was no record to suggest that the building was constructed with a sanctioned plan.

“We have sent details of the plot where the building has come up to the land and land reforms department to identify the registered owner and the exact measurement. Necessary action will be taken against this building,” Saha said.

More pictures and videos of Jayanth sharing space with Trinamool MLA Madan Mitra surfaced on Friday.

Asked whether he was close to Mitra, Jayanth told reporters outside the Ariadaha club that he did not know the leader. He added that political leaders could be seen with several men in pictures.

Mitra said he knew “Jayanath closely but he is not close to me”.