The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas on May 14, 2026, after marathon questioning in connection with an alleged extortion syndicate. Investigators claim Biswas colluded with notorious criminal Sona Pappu and businessman Joy Kamdar to run a racket involving land grabbing, money laundering, and financial irregularities.
According to ED officials, digital evidence including WhatsApp chats and suspicious transactions worth crores link Biswas directly to the syndicate. He had earlier evaded multiple summons and was under a lookout notice before being taken into custody late Thursday night.
Biswas will be produced before a special court in Kolkata today. His arrest follows raids at his residence in April, where incriminating documents were recovered. The ED has already arrested Joy Kamdar, MD of Sun Enterprises, in April, while Sona Pappu faces multiple criminal cases.
The arrest of a senior police officer has sent shockwaves through Kolkata Police and political circles. The BJP, which recently took power in West Bengal, has framed the development as part of its broader crackdown on corruption linked to the previous regime.
Officials say the financial scale of the syndicate runs into hundreds of crores, involving shell companies and land deals. The case is expected to have significant implications for both law enforcement credibility and the state’s political landscape.
