Misuse of Power: Official in Mayor's Office Accused of Extortion

A complaint was lodged by Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee's office against an official in Mayor Firhad Hakim's office, accusing him of misusing Banerjee's name to extort money from contractors. The police confirmed receipt of the complaint, while calls to Hakim went unanswered.

A police complaint has been filed by the office of Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee against an official working with Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, alleging misuse of the TMC MP's name to extort money from contractors.

Officials from Banerjee's office said the complaint, lodged at the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station on Thursday evening, targets the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in Hakim's office. ''We received multiple letters from individuals claiming that the OSD sought financial favours under the guise of assisting them with securing government contracts. He reportedly used Abhishek Banerjee's name for such purposes. Consequently, we decided to file a police complaint,'' stated the office of Banerjee, who is considered the second-in-command in the ruling party.

The police confirmed they have received the complaint. Efforts to reach Mayor Hakim, who also serves as a senior minister in West Bengal, have been unsuccessful as several calls went unanswered.

(With inputs from agencies.)