Ex-minister Aroop Biswas’s brother held in alleged extortion in Tollygunge film industry

| Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI

Former sports minister Aroop Biswas’s brother, Swarup Biswas, was arrested by the Kolkata police on Thursday (June 4) night over allegedly running an extortion racket in the Tollygunge film industry while also allegedly molesting a 42-year-old make-up artist.According to the officials from the New Alipore police station, Mr. Swarup Biswas, the former president of the Federation of Cine Technicians & Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI), was arrested based on an FIR lodged by the female make-up artist who is a resident of the Regent Park area. In her complaint, the woman alleged that she had been out of work for nearly two years and was asked to pay money when she approached for employment opportunities. She also alleged that she was threatened after failing to meet the demand. “She said that she is a member of the Tollygunge Make-up Artist Federation, and she has had no work for the last two years. On August 20, 2025, she came to Suruchi Sangha at New Alipore to meet Mr. Biswas for work. But Mr. Biswas and his associates asked for money and threatened her that if she did not provide money, she would not get any work,” said an officer based on the FIR. Later, the woman further came to approach Mr. Biswas on Thursday when he and his associates misbehaved with her and also asked her to sexually compromise with them to obtain jobs in the industry, said the officer.“She also alleged that one of her colleagues, Kartick Bhattacharya, had to pay ₹45,000 on December last year to Mr. Biswas for work. According to her claim, Mr. Biswas collected more than ₹22 Lakhs from different persons in the name of work. She accused him of fostering a system in which workers were allegedly denied opportunities and blacklisted for not being “close enough” to influential figures or complying with the alleged “syndicate raj” in the cine workers’ industry,” the officer added. The case was lodged under sections 75(1)(ii), 308(4), 308(5), 109, 351(3), 61 of BNS and also sections 25, 27 of the Arms Act. Protest against Swarup BiswasThe arrest triggered protests outside the New Alipore police station, where a large number of people gathered and raised slogans against Mr. Biswas. Many protesters alleged that he had exercised undue influence in the film and television industry for years and extorted money from artists, technicians, and other workers by promising jobs. Meanwhile, many actors and technicians also alleged that they have been banned for allegedly raising their voices against Mr. Biswas and his influence in the industry. However, since the BJP government came to power last month, such allegations and anger against him started flying thick when BJP MLA cum actor Rudranil Ghosh also held a meeting with the technicians and actors last month.