CBI opens Alipurduar office to probe ₹50 cr women’s cooperative scam after HC nod

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has opened a dedicated office in Alipurduar to investigate the ₹50 crore financial scam involving the Alipurduar Mahila Credit Cooperative Society. The office, located beside the Parade Ground, comprises two rooms inside the district police’s Reserve Office. This step follows a directive from the Calcutta High Court’s Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench, which instructed the state police to provide permanent infrastructure to assist the central agency's investigation.

Previously, CBI officials used a railway bungalow during their visits to the district, which they cited as inconvenient and hampering the investigation. The agency then moved the High Court seeking a permanent working space. Following the court’s order, the district police allocated the Reserve Office space and assigned police Sub-Inspectors and Armed Forces officers for security and support. A CBI officer of DSP rank visited the premises on Friday to inspect the setup.

The case stems from a complaint filed by RTI activist Alok Roy on March 25, 2020, at Alipurduar police station. He alleged large-scale financial irregularities in the functioning of the women’s cooperative society. The District Intelligence Branch (DIB) initially took up the case, followed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which made multiple arrests. However, dissatisfied customers accused the state agencies of not conducting the investigation properly, leading to judicial intervention.

On August 24, 2023, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court directed both the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take over the investigation. The directive came after reviewing the progress of the state agencies and based on complaints from depositors and the original complainant. The central agencies were tasked with investigating both financial misappropriation and potential money laundering angles linked to the cooperative society.

Alok Roy stated, “Now the investigation will speed up. The CBI office has opened. We were saying that many wanted to share information with the CBI but couldn’t. That problem is now solved. The CBI officials are in regular contact with me.” The CBI has confirmed that other officers will continue operating from the newly allocated office, and that the state police are providing necessary cooperation as the investigation moves forward.