TMC leader and husband go missing after Rs 4.39 crore gold recovery

A fresh twist has emerged in the illegal assets probe linked to arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and former Bidhannagar mayor Sabyasachi Dutta, with Nadia Zilla Parishad member Tina Bhowmik Saha and her husband reportedly going missing days after police recovered more than 3 kgs of gold jewellery worth over Rs 4.39 crore from their residence.

Police on Wednesday said efforts were underway to trace Tina Bhowmik Saha, a Trinamool Congress leader considered a close associate of Dutta, after neither she nor her husband could be found during or after an extensive search operation at their home in Tehatta, Nadia district.

The search, which began late on Monday night and continued until Wednesday evening, led investigators to a cache of gold jewellery with an estimated market value exceeding Rs 4.39 crore. However, the couple was absent throughout the operation.

Investigators subsequently searched the residences of the couple's parents and in-laws but failed to locate them.

According to police, Tina Bhowmik Saha's elderly mother-in-law told officers that the couple had left home together for work on Monday and had not contacted the family since.

Neighbours reportedly told investigators that they saw the couple leaving in their personal vehicle shortly before the searches began.

The developments have fuelled speculation over whether the couple may have learned about the impending raids and chosen not to return home. Investigators are also examining the possibility that they have gone into hiding following the massive gold recovery.

Meanwhile, officers of Bidhannagar South Police Station have summoned both Tina Bhowmik Saha and her husband for questioning.

The recovery of the gold stems from an ongoing probe into the assets of Sabyasachi Dutta, who was arrested earlier this month on charges including extortion and possession of alleged illegal assets. Dutta, once an influential Trinamool leader and the party's candidate from Barasat in the recent assembly elections, was subsequently remanded to judicial custody.

During the investigation, police allegedly uncovered evidence suggesting that large quantities of gold had been purchased using proceeds from extortion and unaccounted funds. Searches conducted at Dutta's Rajarhat flat and a bank locker reportedly yielded purchase receipts and substantial quantities of gold jewellery.

Investigators claim that Dutta not only accumulated gold for himself but also allegedly helped close associates acquire precious metals using his influence and financial network.

Acting on information gathered during Dutta's interrogation, Bidhannagar police, accompanied by the former mayor, conducted the raid at Tina Bhowmik Saha's residence in Tehatta. The operation resulted in the seizure of more than 3 kilograms of gold jewellery, all of which has been confiscated as part of the ongoing investigation.

With the couple now untraceable and fresh questions emerging about the source of the recovered assets, the case has added another layer of intrigue to an investigation that continues to widen its scope beyond the former mayor's alleged financial dealings.

With IANS inputs