Former Kolkata DCP faces PMLA charge sheet for alleged crime‑linked wealth

The Enforcement Directorate’s Kolkata office has formally lodged a First Supplementary Charge Sheet against former Deputy Commissioner of Police Shantanu Sinha Biswas under the Prevention of Money‑Laundering Act, 2002. The charge sheet was presented before the Chief Judge of the Kolkata City Sessions Court on 10 July 2026, linked to the investigation of Biswajit Poddar, popularly known as Sona Pappu, and a group of co‑accused.

Biswas was apprehended on 14 May 2026, detained by the ED for a fortnight, and is now in judicial custody. The Directorate’s case builds upon several FIRs filed by West Bengal and Kolkata police, alleging crimes such as rioting, attempts on lives, criminal conspiracy and violations of the Arms Act. These charges connect the accused to an organised criminal network that allegedly generated substantial illegal revenue.

The investigation uncovered that Biswas relied on J. S. Kamdar, described as an influential intermediary, to secure advantageous postings and transfers, thereby exercising considerable sway over police mechanisms. Biswas also interfered with police investigations, seeking to influence outcomes in his favour. In exchange for unlawful assistance, he received costly gifts from Kamdar and his family, enriching himself and his relatives, and even orchestrating the filing of certain FIRs.

Additional findings reveal that Biswas utilized proceeds from unlawful activities to finance the expensive construction and renovation of a property in Kandi, Murshidabad. The ED also identified multiple residential assets in Kolkata and nearby areas that, although recorded under third‑party names or corporate entities, were effectively owned by Biswas and his family. According to the PMLA investigation, the former DCP accrued at least ₹2.89 crore in economic benefit from the alleged scheduled crimes.