The West Bengal Police’s Anti-Corruption Branch is examining the financial records of Hooghly Zilla Parishad sub-assistant engineer Suman Das after arresting him in an alleged bribery case linked to the award of government works to contractors. Investigators have seized 73 documents relating to property and investments from his home in Chinsurah and are scrutinising the finances of the engineer and his family.
According to the report by Anandabazar – West Bengal, preliminary checks of the seized documents indicated that the family has assets estimated at ₹1.32 crore. The investigating agency has also claimed that the value of the family’s assets increased significantly over the past five years. The agency has not disclosed how the increase took place and has said that the financial records are being examined in greater detail.
Das was arrested after a contractor from Polba allegedly complained that the engineer had demanded a bribe. The contractor had received a government road construction project under a panchayat scheme. The work, valued at about ₹1 crore, was awarded through an order issued in 2023 and was completed towards the end of 2025, the report said.
The contractor allegedly told investigators that money deposited for the tender had not been returned. On the basis of the complaint, Anti-Corruption Branch officers laid a trap on Tuesday. A person acting on behalf of the complainant allegedly sent ₹20,000 to Das as bribe money.
The currency notes had been treated with a special chemical, according to the report. After the alleged payment, investigators asked Das to wash his hands. The water reportedly turned purple, which the officers used as evidence of contact with the treated notes. He was then questioned and arrested at the spot.
The case places the scrutiny of local public works at the centre of the investigation. Panchayat-linked road projects are typically delivered through contractors, while officials involved in technical assessment, tender processes, measurements, bills and completion documentation can influence how projects move through the administrative system. The supplied report does not establish whether any project other than the road contract was affected or whether the alleged demand influenced the final payment or execution of the work.
The financial investigation will now examine the ownership and source of the properties and investments listed in the 73 seized documents. The reported asset estimate remains a preliminary figure cited by investigators, and the allegations against Das have not been tested in court. The Anti-Corruption Branch has not yet provided further details on the alleged asset growth or indicated whether additional individuals will be questioned.
The investigation follows the arrest and seizure operation and is continuing with a detailed examination of the engineer’s and his family’s financial records.
