The Special Task Force of Kolkata Police on Tuesday arrested a dreaded coal mafia Raju Jha active in Asansol-Raniganj belt along with six other persons.
Among the arrested was a BJP leader Manish Sharma from Raniganj, sources said adding they were picked up in the small hours of Tuesday from a residential flat at Phool Bagan area in North Kolkata.
About Rs1.45 crore and some fire arms were recovered from them, the police said adding the seized amount consisted Rs33 lakh in new Rs2,000 currency notes.
Even as the arrested were produced before a city court on Tuesday and were remanded to a week’s police custody, State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said his party would not take any responsibility of Sharma’s deeds and he would not be inducted in the party until he proved himself innocent.