The Hooghly engineer bribery case has widened after West Bengal Police’s anti-corruption branch seized 73 documents related to property and investments during a search of the arrested official’s home in Chinsurah. Investigators said a preliminary review indicated that the engineer’s family held assets estimated at ₹1.32 crore, with a significant increase reported over the past five years.
Sub-assistant engineer Suman Das, posted with the Hooghly Zilla Parishad, was arrested on allegations that he demanded bribes from contractors in exchange for facilitating government work orders. The anti-corruption branch is now examining the financial records of Das and his family in greater detail. Investigators have not disclosed how the reported increase in assets took place.
The documents were seized during a search that continued until late on Tuesday night, according to Anandabazar’s report. The papers are understood to include records relating to property holdings and investments. The agency has not publicly established that the assets were acquired through illegal payments, and the financial examination remains part of the investigation.
The case began with a complaint from a contractor in Polba, Hooghly, who was involved in a government road project under a panchayat scheme. The project had an estimated value of about ₹1 crore. The work order was issued in 2023, and the construction was completed towards the end of 2025.
The contractor alleged that money deposited for the tender process had not been returned. The complaint also alleged that Das sought a bribe in connection with the government work. Based on the complaint, anti-corruption officials arranged a trap on Tuesday by sending ₹20,000 to the engineer through an intermediary on the pretext of paying the demanded bribe.
The currency notes carried a special chemical that allowed investigators to identify contact with the money. After the transaction, officials asked Das to wash his hands. The police reportedly found a violet colour emerging from his hands, following which he was questioned and arrested at the spot.
The alleged demand for payment is significant because engineers involved in local government works can have a role in technical scrutiny and the processing of project-related matters. In this case, the complaint is linked to a panchayat-funded road project, placing the allegations within the chain through which public money is converted into local infrastructure.
The anti-corruption branch is continuing to examine the seized records and the financial accounts of Das and his family. The investigation will have to establish whether the reported asset growth has a lawful explanation and whether it is connected to the bribery allegations. Further action will depend on the findings of the financial and criminal investigation.
