Suvendu Adhikari's close aide arrested in job scam

A close aide of Bharatiay Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a fake government job scam, a police officer said on Sunday.

Rakhal Bera was arrested from outside his residence in Kolkata on Saturday based on a complaint lodged at the Manicktala police station by a resident of Kalyangarh.

According to the complainant, Bera and his associates had collected huge amounts of money from people on the pretext of offering them Group D jobs in the states irrigation and waterways department, the police officer said.

In his statement to the police, the complainant alleged that Bera took Rs 2 lakh from him at a camp inside a flat at the Saha Institute Of Nuclear Physics Cooperative Housing Society on Manicktola Road sometime between July 2019 and September 2019, the officer said.

Despite having paid the amount, the complainant claimed, he was not given the promised job in the Irrigation Department.

Suvendu Adhikari, a TMC turncoat, and former state Irrigation minister is now Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly.

Bera has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for criminal conspiracy, forgery of valuable security, forgery for the purpose of cheating, he said.

When produced at a Kolkata court, Bera was remanded to police custody till June 12, he added.