Bengal anti-corruption branch arrests KMC asst engineer with properties worth Rs 6 crores

In a stunning takedown that exposes the underbelly of urban governance in Kolkata, state police's Anti-Corruption Branch today arrests Partha Chongdar, aan assistant engineer in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation's Planning and Development Department, over glaring discrepancies between his modest salary and a sprawling empire of assets worth over 6 crore rupees. What began as a routine raid on his residence back in 2023 has extended to a two-year probe uncovering a web of unexplained wealth: from fixed deposits totaling 83 lakh rupees scattered across banks. Allegedly he opened about 5-6 accounts in multiple banks across Kolkata using their in-laws' documents.with 6 luxury flats in Kolkata and suburbs and a lavish 36-lakhs bungalow in Bolpur, and even a real estate firm registered in his wife's name.

A mere 56 lakhs salary in 4 years—leaving investigators stunned. KMC assistant engineer Partha has 734.85 grams of gold in his bank locker with life insurance and has also traveled to several foreign countries. Anti-corruption branch pored over ledgers and ledgers of transactions, revealing a man whose blueprint for personal prosperity far outpaced his public paycheck. The branch vows exhaustive interrogations to peel back the layers, potentially unearthing accomplices in the city's creaking bureaucracy.

For Kolkata residents, reliant on these very officials for pothole-patched roads and sanctioned skyscrapers and several govt facilities for generals, the scandal stings as a betrayal of public trust—reminding us how unchecked ambition can erode the foundations of fair play. As probes deepen, with forensic audits on the horizon, Chongdar's story serves as a cautionary blueprint: in the grand design of city life, the line between service and sleaze is thinner than a tender envelope, and one slip can topple the tallest towers.