Bengal revives KD case

A policeman seizes the belongings of the four missing youths from
Kusum Vihar in Dhanbad on Friday. 
Picture by Gautam Dey 

TT, Calcutta, March 25: The Bengal government has decided to revive a complaint of non-payment of dues against Trinamul MP K.D. Singh's Alchemist Group and start a probe under an Act that entails a maximum punishment of life imprisonment and allows attachment and auction of properties.

The move follows chief minister Mamata Banerjee comment that choosing Singh as a Rajya Sabha member was a "blunder".

Sources said the decision to dig up the case, based on a complaint lodged in January, was taken after Narada chief editor Mathew Samuel reportedly made certain statements concerning Singh in a reply to the CBI. Samuel was once associated with Tehelka, on whose board was Singh.

"A complaint was lodged against Alchemist Township on January 17. After preliminary inquiry, we have decided to probe it. If required, we will question the directors of the company," said Dilip Adak, the officer on special duty at the West Bengal Directorate of Economic Offences.

Sources in the finance department said a probe under the West Bengal Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Establishments Act, 2013, would empower the directorate to attach properties of the group and put them up for auction. The maximum punishment under the Act is life imprisonment.

Calcutta Police, too, have started a probe against Alchemist.