The police today freezed the bank account of former Trinamool Congress leader Asif Khan, who has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a cheating case.
"We have freezed Asif Khan's bank account with Rs 3.14 crore balance," Bidhannagar Police DC DD Kankar Prasad Barui told reporters.
Talking about the next step in the investigation, Barui said, "We did not get the chance to question him. If he is released from the hospital tomorrow, we will produce him before the court and seek police custody." Khan cheated a UP businessman of Rs 20 crore while taking another Rs 7 crore from a city-based firm, the police officer said.
"Asif had promised the two of using his influential contacts to get a 100 bighas of disputed land cleared," Barui said.
Khan has been a "habitual cheater" and was arrested thrice in past for cheating youths after promising them jobs, he said.
"He has been an habitual offender and was arrested thrice earlier for cheating people. In 1998, he was arrested from Jorashanko for duping youths after promising them jobs and again in two similar cases from Baruipur and another from Burrabazar in the same year," Barui said, adding that those cases are still under trial.
Because there was no complaint against the former TMC leader, no action was taken against him, Barui replied when asked why Asif was not arrested earlier.
On the complaints of a UP businessman and a city- based firm, both alleging Khan duping them of crores in a land deal in the Rajarhat-New Town area, Bidhannagar Police yesterday arrested him from his residence at Tiljala in the eastern part of the city.
The TMC leader was admitted to a state-run hospital here early today after he complained of illness. Reports of the TMC leader's check-up were awaited upon which doctors will decide on his release, the hospital sources said.
Khan was a member of the TMC till last month, but quit the party accusing a section of its leadership of being involved in the Saradha chit fund scam.
The CBI had also grilled Khan, who was the editor of a Bengali daily "Aajker Kalom" in connection with the Saradha scam.
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