The zilla parishad sabhadhipati of Purulia, Sujoy Banerjee, on Saturday accused a senior government official of threatening him to refund cut money, which the Trinamul leader said he had never taken.

Banerjee held a news conference to allege that Alokesh Prasad Roy, a commissioner of the panchayat and rural development department and a former district magistrate of Purulia, had sent him WhatsApp messages in June asking him to “refund cut money”.

“He threatened me by taking the name of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. He asked me to refund cut money, which I never took,” Sujoy Banerjee said.

His allegations have surprised many in the government and the ruling party. “Till now, common people and Opposition leaders had been putting pressure on our party functionaries,” said a source.

Roy said he had warned the sabhadhipati personally and did not expect that the conversation between him and Sujoy Banerjee would be made public. “I had warned him personally after receiving complaints…. It is unfortunate that the sabhadhipati made it public,” Roy said.

Sujoy Banerjee alleged that Roy had accused him of taking 8 to 15 per cent commission from contractors by awarding projects. “He sent a message saying I could be arrested. I want to make it clear that I have not taken any cut money,” Sujoy Banerjee said.

Meet on Sabyasachi

Trinamul has called a meeting of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation councillors on Sunday to decide on the fate of mayor Sabyasachi Dutta after he once again made defiant statements in public.