Bengal CID summons former BJP MP Arjun Singh a day before bypolls

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police has summoned former BJP Lok Sabha member from Barrackpore constituency in North 24-Parganas of West Bengal Arjun Singh for questioning in connection with a Rs 4 crore scam at Bhatpara Municipality in the same district.

Singh has been asked to be present at the CID headquarters along with some relevant documents on the morning of 12 November, a day before six Assembly constituencies in West Bengal will go to bypolls.

Naihati, one of the seven Assembly constituencies under Barrackpore Lok Sabha, was one of the six constituencies where polling will be held on 13 November.

Although Singh was not available for comments, the state leadership of BJP has raised questions about the timing of the notice by the CID.

According to the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, although the alleged scam at Bhatpara Municipality took place in 2020, the notice for interrogation was sent after four years with the date of interrogation being fixed on the day before the crucial bypolls.

He also pointed out that the date of dispatch of the notice by CID was a day before the date of issuing the notice.

"Interestingly, the notice signed on November 5 was delivered on November 4. Maybe the CID of West Bengal has a time machine, which we do not know about," Adhikari said.

He claimed that the notice asking Singh to be present for interrogation on a day just before the bypolls "exposes" the political intention behind it.

"We will certainly move the appropriate court of law regarding such a political move by a state agency. Such mistakes regarding time and date happen when someone is trying to manufacture something by misusing authority," he claimed.

The counting of votes polled in the Assembly elections will be on 23 November.