Kolkata, June 26 -- Days after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's whip to party men to return 'cut money', a Trinamool Congress booth president has returned Rs 2.25 lakhs.

Nurul Islam, the party's Suri Block II chief, yesterday returned the amount he had taken from labourers engaged in drainage work in Chatra village of Birbhum district, according to local media reports.

In all 141 men received Rs 1600 each from one Trilochan Mukherjee, who had been denying them payment for the last eight months. The TMC, however, denied this involved returning of cut money.

'Those who work for 3-4 days earn a small amount. We decided to club these small amounts with earning of those working 20-25 days. The money is debited to the big account...