Misappropriation of funds: Surya’s wife interrogated

Anti-corruption Branch of the West Bengal Police on Tuesday interrogated Usha Misra, wife of the CPI(M)’s state secretary and politburo member Dr Surya Kanta Misra, in connection with the alleged charges of misappropriation of fund that was allotted to her NGO.

It may be mentioned that National Aids Control Organisation’s (NACO) fund of Rs 29 lakh was allotted for her NGO Bhagabati Devi Nari Kalyan Samity when Dr Misra was the state health minister.

A complaint alleging misappropriation of fund was lodged against Usha, Sudip Misra the nephew of Dr Misra, some senior officials of the NGO and some officials of the health department on March 9, 2015. Cases were started against them on charges of misappropriation of fund, cheating and criminal breach of trust.

On Tuesday, Usha was summoned to the office of the Anti-Corruption Branch where she was questioned for a few hours.  Sources said that she was asked to reveal that how her NGO had invested the money and what was procured with the allotted fund?

It is learnt that the officers of the Anti-corruption Branch were not satisfied with the answers of Usha as she failed to give proper description on the utilisation of the money. She was also asked to reveal the other sources of income of her NGO. Sources said that the investigating officers asked her about the role of Sudip and some senior officials in functioning of the NGO.

A senior officer said that they might question her again. If needed, Sudip and other officials of the organisation will be interrogated again. It may be recalled that the Anti-corruption Branch officers had conducted a raid in the office of the organisation in West Midnapore on March 12, 2015. 

The entire office was searched during the raid and the officers had seized many documents from there. The officers had gone through the documents and today interrogated Usha based on their findings from those documents. It may be recalled that allegations were raised stating 

that the fund was allotted for the NGO as it belongs to the wife of the then health minister. The incident had taken place when Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was the Chief Minister. 

The allegation was that the fund was sanctioned considering that the matter will never come to light. But the situation changed soon after the change of guard in the state and a complaint was lodged against the organisation.