Siliguri, July 15: G. Kiran Kumar, a joint secretary in the agriculture department who was under the scanner in a funds misuse case in Siliguri, was arrested by the CID today.
The CID was probing the misappropriation of money in the Siliguri-Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) dating back to 2011-13 when Kiran Kumar was its chief executive.
"During interrogation, he could not satisfy us on why payments were made (to private firms) even before the projects were completed. We arrested him. The necessary legal proceedings would be done tomorrow," a CID source said. "Being the CEO, he was the principal person to issue the payments to the firms."
According to Siliguri police sources, over Rs 60 crore was misappropriated and payments made to private construction firms and suppliers even though projects, for which the money was earmarked, were incomplete.
Payments were made for construction of three electric crematoriums at Bagdogra as well as Mainaguri and Malbazar in Jalpaiguri when hardly any construction was done. Money was also cleared for two sewerage treatment plants on the Mahananda river where no work had been done either.
Financial anomalies were found regarding the cleaning of a stream, Jorapani, and in the installation of CCTV cameras in Siliguri.
In November 30, 2013, Kiran Kumar was arrested by Siliguri metropolitan police which was probing the SJDA case then. He was the Malda DM at that time.
But the next day, chief secretary Sanjoy Mitra said in Calcutta that K. Jayaraman, the then police commissioner of Siliguri, had "exceeded his brief" by arresting Kiran Kumar.
The IAS officer got bail the same day and Jayaraman was removed from his post. Both Kiran Kumar and Jayaraman were put on compulsory waiting.
Mayor Asok Bhattacharya of the CPM today said: "We are asking for a CBI probe as many Trinamul leaders are involved in the scam. The former commissioner of police (Jayaraman) was about to nab them when he was removed. There should be a complete CBI probe."
Kumar was posted as joint secretary in the agriculture department on January 29 this year after over a year on leave and in compulsory waiting.
