Police in Kolkata have sealed a bogus police station, allegedly run by former political leader Bibhas Adhikari, days after he was arrested in Noida in connection with multiple fraud cases, a senior police official said on Monday.
A Kolkata Police team discovered the office in the city’s Beleghata neighbourhood, where Adhikari had rented a house’s upper floor and allegedly operated under the guise of an Interpol-linked facility. Residents said vehicles with red-and-blue beacons and armed guards frequently visited the premises, creating an atmosphere of intimidation. “He had three or four bouncers with firearms, and sometimes men in blue Punjabi dress like in Hindi films,” one local resident told reporters. Another said a signboard reading “Interpol” had been removed shortly before police arrived.
According to locals, the property belonged to Arun Ghosh, who admitted renting it to Adhikari for Rs 40,000 a month but denied knowledge of illegal activities. Police said Adhikari had earlier run a similar bogus office in the city’s Maniktala area. Adhikari, a former Trinamul Congress block president in Nalhati, Birbhum district, first came under scrutiny in a primary school recruitment corruption case. He later formed his own political outfit. Authorities now accuse him of using a fake Interpol setup to collect money under the pretext of investigating various cases.
Police in Noida arrested Adhikari along with his son and five others Saturday night. He remains in custody as investigations continue.