Govt docus found burning in Bengal's Bhangar, CBI suspects scam link

Kolkata, April 18 (IANS) The CBI officers had to make an unscheduled rush to Bhangar in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Tuesday following information that some crucial documents related to any of the scams were there.

On reaching there, the CBI officials found the documents burning in an open space at the Andul- Garia area in Bhangar. The central armed forces escorting the CBI officials immediately surrounded the area and the CBI officers quickly started the process of recovering the documents by extinguishing fire.

On questioning the local people, the CBI sleuths came to know that the documents were brought and dumped in the open space late Monday night. The local people did not have any doubt at that point of time. However, on Tuesday afternoon they became curious as they saw the documents had been set on fire.

Sources said that while the CBI sleuths are sure that the papers were certain government documents, the contents of the documents are to be ascertained. However, sources added, the central agency sleuths strongly suspect that these documents were related to any of the scams in the state on which the central agencies are conducting the probe.

Currently, the major financial scams on which central agencies like CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) are conducting probe include irregularities in recruitments of teaching and non- teaching staff in state-run schools, cattle smuggling and coal smuggling.

Meanwhile, the CBI sleuths have summoned Rakesh Roy Chowdhury, the owner of the vacant land where the documents were being burnt, for questioning in the matter.

The Trinamool Congress legislator from adjacent Canning (East) Assembly constituency, Saokat Molla said that he is happy that the CBI sleuths have taken the direct charge of affairs over the development. "If they seek any kind of cooperation from our end, we will extend the same. Proper investigation will surely reveal who is responsible behind this," he added.