vaccine scam: Family members aware of Debanjan Deb’s false claim, say cops

The complainant has alleged that he purchased masks and sanitisers worth Rs 1.2 crore from a stockist and allegedly did not pay

Debanjan Deb: File picture

Special Correspondent   |   TT  |  Calcutta   |   29.06.21 : Police said Debanjan Deb’s family came to know that he was a “fake IAS officer" as early as March 2020 when a verbal complaint about a false job promise was lodged against him with the Bidhannagar commissionerate.

Till Saturday, the family of the vaccine scam accused had allegedly been claiming before the police that they were unaware that he had been posing as an IAS officer.

They apparently told the cops that they were under the impression that the 28-year-old had indeed cracked the UPSC exam and was posted as joint commissioner in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.

“We learnt on Sunday night, when a team of officers took Deb to his Madurdaha home and searched the premises, that the family came to know in March last year that Deb had been duping people masquerading as an IAS officer,” an officer at Lalbazar said on Monday.

“We have found evidence that there was a verbal complaint against Debanjan Deb, for giving false assurance of a government job, at the Electronic Complex police station. He was not arrested because there was no formal complaint. But his family came to know about his misdeeds at that point of time. They were lying all along,” the officer said.

Sources at the Bidhannagar commissionerate said the verbal complaint was lodged in March 2020 by a youth, who alleged that Deb had pretended to be an IAS officer posted at the CMC and promised him a government job.

“No formal complaint was filed because Deb had submitted a written undertaking about his mistakes and the statement was purportedly signed by his family members,” an officer in the commissionerate said.

Two persons, including a relative of Deb, were detained for interrogation late on Monday, sources said.

Posing as an IAS officer and joint commissioner of the CMC, Deb had allegedly organised a series of “Covid vaccination camps” in the city, without the mandatory approval of the state health department.

The special investigating team that is probing the illegal vaccination camps examined some of Deb’s employees on Monday.

Sources said a peon and another employee whose designation was “executive officer” of the “Apellete Authority of the Information and Cultural Affairs department” were questioned on Monday.

“Deb took a loan of Rs 20 lakh from a private bank after submitting forged documents and is yet to repay it,” an officer said.

A complaint of cheating and forgery has been lodged against him with Hare Street police station.

The complainant has alleged that Deb purchased masks and sanitisers worth Rs 1.2 crore from a stockist and allegedly did not pay.

Staff at Deb’s office got salaries through a bank account in the name of “WBFINCORP”, giving them the impression that they were on the payroll of the West Bengal Finance Corporation, which functions under the finance department.