CBI Names Trinamool's Babul Supriyo's Ex Staff Member In Corruption Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI has charged an ex staff member of former Heavy Industries Minister Babul Supriyo, along with top executives of Engineering Projects (India) Ltd (EPIL), in an alleged corruption case.

Babul Supriyo, who was the minister between 2016-19 quit the BJP to join Trinamool, won the Ballygunge assembly constituency last month.

The agency alleges the accused favoured M/s Ashutosh Bandhopdhyay with contracts in 2016-17 in-lieu of Rs 40 lakh bribe, out of which Rs 5 lakh were transferred to the bank account of Sushanta Mallick, Babul Supriyo's staff member, in December 2016.

The premier investigation agency has not named Babul Supriyo as accused as yet. However, "unknown public servants" have been named as accused in the case.

"SPS Bakshi, the then CMD, EPIL, Harcharan Pal, the then Executive Director, EPIL, Paritosh Kumar Praveen, the then Manager (Grade-Il), EPIL, RS Tyagi, the then DGM (on contract), EPIL conspired and demanded Rs. 50 Lac from Ashutosh Bandhopadhayay, for providing favour for the tenders awarded and being awarded by EPIL during the period 2016-2017," said the First Information Report or the FIR in the case.

"Verification has revealed that SPS Bakshi had got conveyed to Ashutosh Bandhopadhayay through Sh. R.S. Tyagi, the then DGM (contractual basis) that out of the said bribe amount of Rs. 40 Lacs, Rs. 05 Lacs be transferred into the bank account of Sushanta Mallick, staff of the then Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. Accordingly, Ashutosh Bandhopadhayay transferred Rs. 5 Lacs in the bank account of Sushanta Mallick in Dec. 2016," said the FIR.