CID quizzes Shamik, video records statement

Officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) interrogated former BJP MLA from South Basirhat Assembly constituency Shamik Bhattacharya on Monday in connection with alleged corruption in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Bhattacharya was summoned in this connection following the arrest of one Ranjit Pal.

On Monday, Bhattacharya was present at the CID headquarters at Bhawani Bhavan for around three hours. Sources said that his statement has been video recorded. Though Bhattacharya refused to talk about anything related to the interrogation as the probe in this connection is going on, sources in CID said that he brushed aside all allegations of his involvement in the corruption. It is learnt that he told the CID officers that he would have informed the police and senior leaders of his party if he would have come to know about it earlier.

Local people from Sabujpalli in Basirhat had lodged a complaint with the police alleging that money was being taken from them after assuring help to get benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Though senior BJP leaders have brushed aside the allegations of distribution of forms for the scheme from the party's office at Basirhat, CID officers claimed that they have received documents showing that those were being distributed from the party's office itself. The CID officers had claimed that something between Rs 500 to Rs 1000 was allegedly taken from each of the applicants and name of another person, Bikash Singh, has also cropped up in this connection.