Kolkata Businessman Arrested in Land-Grabbing Money Laundering Case

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Kolkata businessman Amit Gangopadhyay in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to alleged land-grabbing and illegal construction. Gangopadhyay, associated with former TMC MLA Debashis Kumar, faces multiple charges, including fraud and forgery. The ED's actions come ahead of the Assembly elections, as they uncover a broader network involved in land-grabbing activities. This case has already led to several arrests, raising concerns about illegal operations in the region. Read on for more details about the investigation and its implications.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 16, 2026, 12:23 IST

Enforcement Directorate Takes Action

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Kolkata, Sep 16: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has detained Amit Gangopadhyay, a construction entrepreneur from Kolkata, who is closely linked to former TMC MLA Debashis Kumar, as part of an investigation into money laundering associated with alleged land-grabbing and unauthorized construction.

The agency has accused Gangopadhyay's firm of erecting housing developments on illegally occupied land across various sites in south Kolkata. He was called in for questioning at the ED office on Tuesday and subsequently arrested, with sources indicating that his arrest stemmed from claims of failing to cooperate with the inquiry.

Gangopadhyay is known to be a close ally of Debashis Kumar, a former member of the Trinamool Congress. In 2023, law enforcement filed approximately 20 FIRs against him across different police stations, including those in South 24 Parganas, citing allegations of land grabbing, fraud, and forgery. Following these police reports, the ED launched a money laundering investigation.

As the Assembly elections approach, the ED conducted searches at several locations tied to the case, claiming to have obtained vital information from electronic devices and documents seized during these operations. The agency has also interrogated Debashis Kumar multiple times and conducted searches at his home and office. He was summoned to the ED's CGO complex in Salt Lake, Kolkata, on April 1, 3, and 9.

This investigation is part of a broader alleged land-grabbing scheme that has already resulted in the arrests of construction businessman Joy Kamdar, alleged land mafia figure Biswajit Poddar, also known as Sona Pappu, and former Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Santanu Sinha Biswas. Authorities assert that these individuals generated significant illegal profits through their land-grabbing activities.

Kamdar was apprehended in April, while Sinha Biswas and Poddar were arrested in May. Investigators allege that the trio accumulated considerable illegal gains through their operations in land grabbing.