Tripura ex-minister, facing arrest in PWD scam, denied anticipatory bail

Former PWD minister and CPI-M's Central Committee member Badal Chowdhury, facing an arrest warrant for his alleged role in a scam worth Rs 600 crore in execution of PWD works, was on Wednesday denied anticipatory bail by a court here.

West Tripura's Session Judge Sabyasachi Purkayastha denied the relief to the former minister saying he cannot be given the relief.

Chowdhury's counsel P Roy Burman told reporters that he would move the Tripura High Court challenging the denial of anticipatory bail to his client.

The former minister had moved the sessions court for the bail on Monday after a former chief engineer of the state's Public Works Department was arrested for his alleged involvement in various financial irregularities in PWD works.

West Tripura's Superintendent of Police Ajit Pratap Singh said former PWD engineer-in-chief Sunil Bhowmik was taken into custody while arrest warrants were issued against former PWD Minister Badal Choudhury and former Chief Secretary Yashpal Singh.

"The action was based on an FIR lodged by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) with the West Agartala police station on Sunday evening in which the agency has accused the trio of being involved in a financial scam of Rs 600 crore in PWD projects between 2008 and 2009," the SP said.

The trio has been charged with penal offences of fraud, corruption, criminal breach of trust and suppression of evidence, he said.