SILCHAR, Oct 15: Hailakandi Police today picked up Deputy Inspector of School PK Deb for interrogation for his alleged involvement in the Rs 38-lakh gratuity scam in the district after the main kingpins of the entire episode, Head Assistant Debabrata Choudhury and Selim Uddin Barbhuiya, surrendered to the police and in the court respectively.
The move was taken by Excise Minister Gautam Roy after the retired teachers along with the leaders of various teachers’ organizations met him at his residence in Hailakandi today seeking his intervention in the matter. Roy reportedly ordered the police to probe into the matter neutrally. The police picked up Deb only after Roy intervened.
The police also seized a trunk loaded with documents relating to the gratuity benefits of the retired teachers today. According to reports, Choudhury and Barbhuiya had allegedly teamed up to siphon off the gratuity benefits of eight teachers amounting to Rs 38 lakh. Both Choudhury and Barbhuiya had admitted to the crime when the scam was busted and promised that they would return the entire money by Tuesday last. But instead of doing so, Choudhury surrendered himself to the police.
Meanwhile, Deb filed an FIR against Choudhury and Barbhuiya, who have been sent to police remand.
Various teachers’ organizations alleged that the role of Deb was not beyond suspicion as he should have scrutinized the process of payment of gratuity benefits to the retired teachers. After Deb joined as the DIS in Hailakandi, an amount of Rs 1.23 crore was reportedly withdrawn from the Treasury for payment as gratuity, GPF and pension benefits of the retired teachers. But now Deb has denied knowledge of the money withdrawn, sources said.
Meanwhile, teachers in the district suspect that the total sum involved in the scam would be at least a crore. Moreover, the act of surrender by Choudhury and Barbhuiya is being resented by the teachers as the entire legal process would be more time consuming due to judicial proceedings. THE SENTINEL
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