Goenka assures CID to cooperate with salary non-payment probe

Chairman of Duncans Industries G P Goenka has deposed before the CID in connection with non-payment of workers' salary in one of its closed tea gardens in Dooars region of north Bengal, a CID official said here today.
Goenka, who was summoned by the CID, yesterday assured the sleuths to cooperate with it in the case of non-payment of workers' salary in Bagrakote tea garden.
The CID had summoned Goenka on the basis of an FIR lodged by a labourer of Bagrakote alleging that the employees' dues were not paid since last year and named Goenka and his son Srivardhan as the two accused in the matter.

Earlier, Goenka and his son failed to appear before the CID and instead sent one wholetime director of Duncans Industries to represent them. The agency, however, told the promoters of the garden to present themselves in person.
Goenka went to the CID headquarters yesterday and said he was not involved in the company's day-to-day affairs as there were people who were entrusted with that duty, the official told PTI.
He also promised to send the people concerned to the CID headquarters if needed, the official said.

Goenka who was accompanied by general manager (legal) Subir Mukherjee, had sought some time to furnish written replies to CID's queries.

"We've not given him any deadline for the reply... We will wait for some time for it and then will take a call whether to call him (Goenka) for further questioning or not," the official said.
Deaths of labourers at Bagrakote were reported allegedly due to lack of nutrition.