Kolkata: Three BJP workers were arrested on Friday for allegedly vandalising a restaurant-cum-guest house at Deganga in North 24-Parganas, looting cash and assaulting employees over a refusal to pay extortion money. The accused, however, claimed they had raided the establishment to shut down an alleged prostitution racket.
The Nov 4 attack took place at Eco Cafe, which houses Lake Palace guest house on its upper floors.
The arrested persons — Ankush Kahar, Subrata Ghosh and Bijoy Biswas — were identified through CCTV footage, police said. BJP workers had visited it three days earlier, threatening to implicate it in a false honey-trap case and demanding money, according to the establishment’s management. Police said they were investigating whether more persons were involved and would also probe allegations of a prostitution racket.
A Barasat court remanded them in police custody for five days. When the demand was refused, they allegedly ransacked the premises and assaulted employees.
A similar incident had reportedly occurred a fortnight earlier, following which the owners lodged a police complaint.