Siliguri, March 3: Kotwali police today arrested Ad. Aniruddin Islam, a CPM local committee member of Jalpaiguri Sadar block and former saha-sabhapati of the Sadar panchayat samiti, for accepting bribe from four youths and promising them jobs.

According to the police, Ashish Chakraborty, an employee of the zilla parishad who was earlier the personal assistant of sabhadhipati Banamali Roy, had taken Rs 1 lakh, Rs 74,000, Rs 70,000 and Rs 59,000 from the four youths, all residents of Rangdhamali near Jalpaiguri town. The youths were promised the posts of sahayak (helper) in gram panchayats and the money was transferred in the presence of Islam.

“When the youths did not get the jobs, they challenged Chakraborty. He managed to pacify them by giving them bank cheques. When cheques bounced, the quartet approached the district magistrate, Ramchandra Ranjit,” said the police.

Ranjit said Chakraborty had been suspended and a departmental inquiry launched. Islam denied the charge and said he was just a witness to the payment.