Silchar, Oct. 27: A court in Hailakandi district today sent a block development officer to 14 days in police custody after he was arrested last night for allegedly siphoning off development funds.

The Hailakandi BDO, identified as Moinul Hoque Choudhury, a resident of Nagaon district, was arrested from his rented house in Hailakandi town last night.

He was booked under Sections 120 (b), 409, 468 , 419, 420 and 34 of the IPC.

Police sources said Choudhury was accused of siphoning off the funds allocated for the improvement of a rural road at Sudarshanpur-Bandukmara gaon panchayat. He allegedly forged the signature of a junior engineer, Altaf Hussain Laskar, and withdrew Rs 14 lakh.

The incident came to light when the villagers came to know that a false report was submitted at the office of the BDO about the completion of the road, though no work was done.

The villagers filed a complaint before the district administration which asked Laskar to conduct a probe. During the investigation, Laskar found that a bill regarding the completion of the road was submitted at the BDO office and it carried his forged signature.

He then lodged a complaint with Hailakandi police.

The police after launching an investigation first arrested the contractor, Anjan Nath.

During the probe, the police found the involvement of Choudhury in the case.

Hailakandi legislator Anwar Hussain Laskar, taking a note of the incident, recently informed the matter to the state home department.