india

Updated: Nov 12, 2019 07:10 IST

Tripura’s former public works department (PWD) minister Badal Choudhury, who was arrested last month on charges of alleged financial irregularities in construction work done almost a decade ago, was sent to four days’ police remand on Monday.

The West Tripura district and sessions judge Sabyasachi Kar Purkayastha ordered the police remand for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Choudhury with certain conditions.

“Badal Choudhury should not be kept and interrogated in any police lock-up. He should be kept in any separate place or room having air and light availability and where he shall be provided with at least one bed with cot for his sleeping and taking rest with provision of drinking water and proper diet and also with provision of lavatory in any nearby area of the room so that he is not required to walk much,” Purukayastha’s order read.

Choudhury should be ensured medical safety and be examined once a day, as per the order.

The former PWD minister for four terms in the Left regime would be sent back to judicial custody after four days. He would be forwarded to court again on November 22.

The case was lodged against the former minister along with former chief secretary Yashpal Singh and retired PWD chief engineer Sunil Bhowmik on October 13 on charges of corruption, cheating, criminal breach of trust, causing disappearance of evidence of offence, etc related to infrastructure construction works in 2008-09.

The amount involved in the construction projects was more than Rs 600 crore.

Choudhury was arrested on October 21 from the intensive care unit (ICU) of a private hospital in Agartala more than a week after he was booked in connection with the case. He was later brought to a police lock-up but he complained of breathing problem and rushed to government-run GBP hospital.

The opposition CPI(M) has alleged the case against Choudhury is a part of political revenge.