FIR against Suvendu Adhikari, brother Soumendu for stealing relief materials for cyclone victims

KOLKATA: An FIR has been lodged with Contai police station in East Midnapore against Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, his brother Soumendu Adhikari, who was the chairman of the local municipality, and two others for allegedly stealing relief materials meant for cyclone Yaas victims.

In the complaint, Ratnadeep Manna, a member of the civic body’s board of administrators, alleged the loot was committed with the help of central force personnel who were assigned for Suvendu’s security.

On May 29, 2021, around 12.30 pm, central force personnel came to the godown of Contai municipality in a small truck and with the help of two employees of the civic body, Himangshu Manna and Pratap Dey, they decamped with tarpaulin sheets, given by the state government as relief materials for cyclone victims, worth more than Rs 1 lakh, Manna wrote in his complaint.

"Along with another member of the board of administrators Sheikh Habibur Rehman, I questioned Himangshu and Pratap. The two fumbled and admitted that they committed the crime on the direction of Suvendu and Soumendu,’’ Manna alleged in the FIR.

Based on the complaint, police registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 379 (theft), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 448 (trespassing) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 51/53 of Disaster Management Act , 2005, which deals with misappropriation of goods means for relief.     

However, none of Suvendu and Soumendu could be contacted for their reaction.