Ranit Kr. Singh , Kolkata - Five local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders were arrested on Saturday following coordinated raids across North and South 24 Parganas districts, where large stockpiles of hoarded government relief materials were recovered. The police, acting on tips and accompanied by villagers and BJP workers, raided TMC offices and private godowns in Jaynagar, Baruipur, and Sandeshkhali. The recovered items, which belonged to the Disaster Management Department, included tarpaulins, blankets, clothes, utensils, and agricultural pesticide spraying machines, alongside illicit liquor and weapons found cached inside a party office.

In South 24 Parganas, the police arrested Tuhin Biswas, the TMC president of Jaynagar-1 block, and his wife Rituparna Biswas, who serves as the Panchayat Samiti president. Tuhin is the brother-in-law of Jaynagar MLA Bishwanath Das, and locals have accused the family of running an "empire of corruption" under the MLA's protection. Meanwhile, in Baruipur's Salepur village, authorities arrested TMC Panchayat Samiti member Sudhangshu Naskar after a Friday night raid on his residence yielded 70 packets of tarpaulin, 30 blankets, and several crates of utensils meant for public distribution.

The unrest spread to North 24 Parganas, where angry villagers in Sandeshkhali-2 block broke open a locked room at the Hatgachha Hostel to discover hidden relief materials. This discovery sparked massive public protests against local leadership. Following a swift investigation into the incident, the Sandeshkhali police arrested two more local TMC leaders, identified as Debajyoti Sanyal and Bhola Sardar. Local opposition leaders have criticized the ruling party, alleging that emergency government supplies intended for vulnerable citizens are systematically being diverted and hidden inside ruling party strongholds.