SDPO probing graft case against CPI(M) leader transferred, SP

The Tripura government on Thursday suspended a superintendent of police and transferred a sub-divisional police officer who was investigating a corruption case against a senior CPI(M) leader.

CPI(M) central committee member Badal Chowdhury was accused of being involved in a Rs 630 crore scam when he was PWD minister in the erstwhile Left Front government. A local court denied anticipatory bail to him on Wednesday.

The government also transferred Deputy Inspector General, Southern Range, Arindam Nath to Police Head Quarter with immediate effect.

Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla refused to divulge the reason behind the actions taken against the police officials saying it was an internal matter of the state government.

A government notification said, West Tripura Superintendent of Police Ajit Pratap Singh was suspended and disciplinary action against him has been contemplated.

Raju Reang, the SDPO of New Capital Complex, West Tripura, was transferred as Deputy Superintendent of Police (Procurement), the notification said.

Reang was the Investigation Officer of the Rs 630 crore graft case.

Badal Chowdhury, the former PWD minister, facing an arrest warrant for his alleged role in the scam, was on Wednesday denied anticipatory bail by a West Tripura court.

Chowdhury's counsel Purusottam Roy Burman said he would move the Tripura High Court challenging the order.

The CPI(M) leader had moved the session's court for pre-arrest bail on Monday after a former chief engineer of the state PWD was arrested for his alleged involvement in various financial irregularities in PWD works.

An arrest warrant was also issued against former Chief Secretary Yashpal Singh in this connection.