Days after former Tripura deputy speaker Pabitra Kar was booked for corruption, opposition leader Manik Sarkar claimed that the case lodged against him is an example of “political vendetta”.
“Fake charges have been brought against our leaders to weaken the opposition party. This is nothing but political vendetta. Pabitra Kar has submitted all the required documents and he will cooperate with the police,” Sarkar said during a programme in Agartala.
Based on a vigilance inquiry report, an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act was lodged against Kar at Bodhjungnagar Police Station by Deputy Superintendent of Vigilance Jeremia Darlong on July 2.
New Capital Complex sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Priya Madhuri Majumder said, “A report by vigilance inquiry found that the value of property owned by Kar is more than his income. So, a case was filed against him.”
Reacting to the issue, Pabitra Kar said the investigation in the case was started one year ago and he had extended full cooperation to the authorities by replying to their queries. “I didn’t get to know of any investigation in the last six months and I was under the impression that the details I had shared with the authorities were satisfactory. I had also given detailed information to the Election Commission during the Assembly polls. But a case against me was filed again recently.”
The former Assembly deputy speaker added that the due allowance which is given to legislators was his only source of income before. At present, he has a pension to support himself apart from his ancestral property that includes paddy lands and rubber plantations, he said.
“I have also submitted my income details to the Income Tax department. This case is a conspiracy against me. But the government will gain nothing from it,” he said.
Earlier, former finance and PWD minister Badal Chowdhury, former chief secretary YP Singh and former chief engineer Sunil Bhowmik were booked in an alleged construction scam amounting to Rs 600 crore in 2019. Though they were arrested, they were given bail after 90 days of judicial custody and no chargesheet was filed in court against them.
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