In what could be a first of its kind in the history of the country, a politician on Tuesday officially returned the “bribe” — described as “cut money” by Trinamool Congress [TMC] chief Mamata Banerjee — taken from the local residents in Birbhum district of south Bengal. Party area president Trilochon Mukherjee returned ₹2.28 lakh collected to dig a canal.
The Chief Minister had recently asked the party leaders and workers to return the money which had created widespread commotion in the State. The BJP too turned it into an issue.
Mr. Mukherjee returned ₹1,617 each to 141 persons, the elated villagers said. They thanked Ms. Banerjee for the “money back policy”. Mr. Mukherjee however sounded a little sullen.
“The money was raised for developmental work but it was returned today,” he said. The canal work never took off.
The State government has decided to charge the “errant” public representatives and government functionaries under Section 409 of the IPC which relates to criminal breach of trust by a public servant or by banker, merchant or agent, officials in the Chief Minister’s Office said on condition of anonymity. A person convicted under the law is liable to be punished with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years, besides fine. Many TMC leaders have committed themselves to return the “cut money”.
[With agency inputs]
