Siliguri, 13th July: In a major development in the alleged ₹1.17 crore government cheque scam of the Siliguri Primary School Council, police arrested clerk Ranjan Dutta from the Deshbandhu Para area late on Sunday night.
Ranjan Dutta was produced before the Siliguri court on Monday, where police sought his custody for further interrogation. Following his arrest, police claimed that several new details have emerged during the preliminary questioning.
According to police sources, Ranjan Dutta has claimed that he is not solely responsible for the alleged scam and alleged that he has been framed in the case. Police are verifying his statements through documents and bank records.
The investigation has revealed allegations of tampering with government cheques, including changing amounts, forging signatures, and altering beneficiary names, leading to the alleged misappropriation of around ₹1.17 crore in government funds.
During the probe, a case surfaced where a cheque of ₹14,240 issued to a publication organisation was allegedly altered to ₹9,14,240 and withdrawn from a bank. Earlier, two women identified as Alpana Saha and Pratima Sarkar were arrested in connection with the case.
Police are now investigating whether a larger network was involved in the alleged scam and whether other officials, employees, or influential persons had any role in it. While being taken from the police station to court, Ranjan Dutta alleged that he was framed by the Primary Council Chairman and claimed that several board members and big names were involved in the case.