Cops take Swarup to Tolly studio for office search

Kolkata: Officers from the New Alipore PS on Wednesday took arrested Trinamool functionary Swarup Biswas to the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI) office at Tollygunge Technician Studio, where locks were broken in his presence to conduct a search. The office was the nerve centre of Biswas’s operations.

Biswas, brother of former minister Aroop Biswas, faces a slew of charges, including sexual harassment, extortion and murder attempt following his arrest on June 4. He is also booked under the Arms Act.

The studio raid follows searches of Biswas’s home in Sahapur on Monday and of Suruchi Sangha in New Alipore on Tuesday. Police are mapping an alleged extortion racket, run by Biswas, who reportedly held absolute dominance over Tollywood. “He controlled the entire Tollywood machinery through fear and false promises,” a technician alleged before police in Swarup’s presence on Wednesday. Police said they were auditing financial trails to identify technicians and directors from whom money was allegedly extorted.