LPG plot hatched well ahead of Centre's notification: Police

Kolkata: Police investigation into the LPG dealership scam in which several people were allegedly duped have revealed that the plot for the scam was hatched days before the Union Petroleum ministry came up with the notification for LPG dealership.

According to police sources, BJP leader Ranjeet Majumder who was arrested in connection with this case in the month of September, had made plans a fortnight ahead of the Centre's notification and had e-mailed the same to a number of district presidents of the party asking them to send names of people who are interested in taking up distributorship. The list was prepared on the basis of this e-mail and amounts ranging from Rs 4 to 7 lakh were collected from each person. The entire transaction was done in cash.

The sleuths, on the basis of this e-mail, have learnt that money was collected from more than 234 persons.

It may be mentioned that Majumder was arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged at Jorasanko police station by Ashoke Sarkar, a former BJP leader, alleging "criminal conspiracy" that was "hatched" by some "senior BJP and RSS leaders of Bengal".

Sarkar, in his complaint, had urged the police to carry a thorough probe in the matter and punish the offenders as per law.

According to sources, allegations of financial corruption associated with LPG connection against BJP leaders have come up from Murshidabad and Sonarpur in South 24-Parganas and could go up to the tune of a few crores.

The central division of Kolkata Police had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of nine officers to probe the complaint. The sleuths are also probing the role of some more BJP leaders in connection with the case. Some leaders in Murshidabad district have been quizzed in this connection by the SIT.

A senior BJP leader, when contacted, denied the involvement of the party in the matter. "If somebody is found to be involved then he has to take his own responsibility. The party will not stand by him."

It may be mentioned that in January 2017, Sarkar had filed an RTI with Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar Polytechnic in Jhargram, alleging that BJP state president Dilip Ghosh had lied about his educational qualifications. He had alleged that the information furnished by Ghosh in his affidavit for the Assembly election regarding his educational qualifications was false.