Dinhata police probes 5th municipal staffer

Cooch Behar: Dinhata Police Station has summoned another employee of Dinhata Municipality for interrogation in connection with the ongoing investigation into the building plans forgery scam. The summoned employee, Harihar Barman, is the fifth municipal staff member to be questioned by the police. Four other employees — Uttam Chakraborty, Jagadish Sen, Souvik Das, and Bandhan Barman — were interrogated over the past two days. Meanwhile, one employee, the main accused, remains absconding.

The police are probing the scam to determine if any councillors or other influential individuals are involved in passing forged building plans. According to sources, the investigation has already uncovered significant evidence, including fake seals affixed to the fraudulent documents. The seized seals bear no resemblance to official municipal seals.

In a related development, a municipal board meeting scheduled for Saturday was canceled amid the unfolding controversy. Executive Officer of Dinhata Municipality, Alok Kumar Sen, revealed that another resident filed a complaint on Saturday, alleging he had been defrauded. “The scam has impacted every ward of the town. Many victims are hesitant to come forward for various reasons. However, a task force will be formed to investigate the matter thoroughly,” Sen said. Sen further emphasised the scope of the

irregularities, noting that the scam involves not just forged plans but also financial

exploitation of residents.