Kolkata, July 9 (IANS) Former West Bengal minister Manas Bhunia on Thursday appeared at Sabang police station in West Midnapore district after receiving a summons for questioning in connection with an alleged cash-for-job scam. According to the police, he was questioned for about three hours at the police station.

Manas Bhunia, however, did not make any comments after leaving the police station. He has been accused of taking several lakh rupees on the pretext of procuring jobs in the Irrigation Department while he was the minister.

Following the court’s order, he reached the police station at around 11.30 a.m. on Thursday. Investigating officers questioned him there for about three hours.

According to police sources, a written complaint was lodged at the Sabang police station alleging that several lakh rupees had been taken on the promise of jobs in the Irrigation Department. The police started an investigation based on the complaint. The former minister was served notices several times as part of the investigation. According to police sources, he did not appear at the police station on the first two occasions.

Challenging the notice, Manas Bhunia approached the Calcutta High Court. The court directed him to cooperate with the investigation. Following the court’s order, the former state Irrigation Minister appeared at the Sabang police station on Thursday. His statement regarding the complaint was recorded during the questioning. After about three hours of interrogation, Bhunia declined to comment.

BJP’s organisational district vice-president for the Ghatal organisational district in West Midnapore, Amulya Maiti, said: “It is said that sin does not spare anyone. The corrupt will be punished as per law.”

A young man, a resident of Bishnupur Gram Panchayat in the Sabang Assembly constituency, lodged the complaint on June 10. According to the complaint, before the Assembly elections, his wife was given a job under CISB Services Private Limited at the Temathani Irrigation Bungalow through the alleged mediation of the then minister, Manas Bhunia. However, they allegedly paid Rs 5 lakh in exchange for the job. His wife subsequently joined the job and received her salary last March. However, within two months, she was dismissed from the job.

The complainant appealed to the police to take legal action against Manas Bhunia, alleging that he had lost Rs 5 lakh and his wife had lost her job. Following the complaint, the police registered an FIR against the former Irrigation Minister. Manas Bhunia, however, denied the allegations.

–IANS

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