Police have arrested a youth-wing leader of the Trinamul Congress from North 24-Parganas's Ashoknagar on Saturday night for allegedly taking money from a woman to build her a house under the 'Banglar Bari' housing scheme.
Asif Iqbal, 32, a booth-committee leader of Trinamul Youth Congress, was arrested from his residence on the basis of a complaint lodged by Anjura Biwi in which she accused him of wrongfully taking Rs 10,000 from her.
Trinamul's Ashoknagar MLA, Narayan Goswami took up the initiative to get the youth leader arrested after the complainant informed him about the allegations at a Duare Bidhayak (MLA on doorstep) camp, an outreach held in the town on Saturday.
Two years ago, Asif took the money from Anjura after her house was damaged by a cyclone, she said."Asif, a Trinamul leader, is known to me and even lives near my home. He assured me a home under the housing scheme…. I paid the money and waited for two years. But he did nothing. I urged him to refund the money, but Asif refused,” Anjura said. “On Saturday, I went to a Duare Bidhatyak camp to appeal for a home and eventually told the MLA how Asif, being a party leader, siphoned money and misled me. The MLA advised me to lodge a police complaint and told police to take action against Asif,” she added.Asif was produced before a court in Barasat on Sunday, which ordered 10 days in jail custody.
Ashoknagar MLA Goswami said: “Our chief minister has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against corruption. So when I heard about the woman’s plight caused by an unethical act by a Trinamul activist, I advised her to lodge a police complaint and requested police to take action against him.”