TMC's Santanu Sen files case against Sumantra Chowdhury over 'cut money' allegations

National President of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Santanu Sen this week filed two defamation cases against Dum Dum-based promoter Sumantra Chowdhury.

Dr Sen filed a civil defamation case worth Rs 10 crores at Kolkata High Court and Criminal defamation case at Sealdah Court over "false allegations with ulterior motives" made by Chowdhury.

Sumantra Chowdhury had alleged that the Trinamool Congress MP had taken 'cut money' worth lakhs in many government schemes.

This remark followed after the chief minister Mamata Banerjee reportedly issued a diktat asking the party leaders to return the "cut" money they had taken from people.

"My fight is against this practice of maligning a reputed person in the Society without any evidence, which is against the culture of Bengal and moreover, as, a person takes years to earn respect in the Society, which is just maligned in a second by this type of mudslinging", read a statement by Dr Sen.

Cut money amounts to a percentage of money that is illegally charged by elected leaders to the grassroots functionaries at the panchayat and local bodies level from ordinary citizens in return for delivery of services.