The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former police officer Manoranjan Mondal in a coal smuggling scam.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former police officer Manoranjan Mondal in a coal smuggling scam in West Bengal, officials said on Friday (June 19, 2026). Mr. Mondal had been under the central agency’s scanner for a long time. The former officer-in-charge of Barabani police station was arrested by the central agency officers on Thursday (June 18, 2026) late evening after long hours of questioning at the CGO complex in Salt Lake, just outside Kolkata. Previously, he had failed to show up for questioning even after repeated summons. According to sources, the ED officials found many inconsistencies in his statements during questioning and the officer failed to give satisfactory answers for several financial transactions. The officer was suspended from his duties in 2024 under other corruption allegations. The arrest was made in connection with an ongoing investigation against a coal smuggling network. He was produced at the Bankshall Court on Friday. Former MLA booked in rape charges Former Trinamool Congress MLA Saokat Molla faced fresh allegations and was booked under rape allegations, police officials said on Friday. This came after a woman accused him of sexual abuse and blackmailing her over several years and filed an official complaint. A case was registered at the Jibantala police station in South 24 Parganas, earlier in the week. The allegations date back to 2019. The former MLA from Canning was arrested by the National Investigation Agency on June 5. He was arrested in connection with a bomb blast in Bhanagar that happened before the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Anger and allegations against Trinamool continue Former Minister and senior Trinamool leader Udayan Guha was previously booked under corruption charges in the Awas Yojana Scheme. On Friday, further allegations were levelled against him by local Left leaders of north Bengal. The complaint was formally shared with the Dinhata Police Station. Other similar complaints have also been filed at the same police station against Mr Guha. Meanwhile, a former Trinamool MLA from Tarakeshwar, Ramendu Singha Roy, was also arrested from Karnataka. He was arrested on charges of extortion and corruption. Published - June 20, 2026 12:49 am IST
