Kolkata/Krishnanagar: Nearly 3 kg of gold ornaments worth an estimated Rs 4.4 crore were recovered during a midnight police raid at a Trinamool functionary’s ancestral home in Nadia, who is believed to be a close associate of former Rajarhat-New Town TMC MLA Sabyasachi Dutta, arrested in an extortion case.The recovery comes days after police seized another 3.5kg of gold ornaments from one of Dutta’s flats in New Town.Tuesday’s recovery was made from the Kishorepur residence of Nadia zilla parishad member Tina Bhowmik Saha, who also owns a flat in Salt Lake. Investigators carried out the late-night operation after reportedly obtaining fresh leads during Dutta’s interrogation.A joint team from Bidhannagar North and Karimpur police stations launched the raid around 11.45 pm on Monday. Dutta was brought to the location around 12.30 am.Preliminary findings suggest that the property belongs to Tina’s father, Kanchan Bhowmik. He claimed that the recovered jewellery belonged to his family but could not furnish any supporting documents.Investigators suspect that proceeds from the alleged extortion racket may have been converted into gold and stored at multiple locations to evade detection.Dutta, a former Bidhannagar mayor, was arrested on June 8 and has consistently denied all allegations. Investigators, however, claim to have gathered documentary and financial evidence against him.Authorities have already frozen five bank accounts belonging to Dutta and his wife Indrani. Assets worth around Rs 3.7 crore, including bank deposits, fixed deposits and cash, have also been seized. Police have additionally taken possession of a luxury SUV allegedly used by Dutta during his tenure as chairman of Bidhannagar municipality.CM Suvendu Adhikari also referred to the development while speaking in the assembly. “Since morning, we have been watching on TV how gold ornaments are spilling out of the home of an associate of another big neta in New Town, just like cash was seized from the home of the girlfriend of the former education minister,” he said.
