Suri: A former land official was arrested in Kolkata’s Behala on Sunday in connection with the Tulu Mondal DCR corruption case. Rabiul Islam, who served as district land and land reforms officer (DL&LRO) of Suri Sadar sub-division, was arrested by police.Islam allegedly facilitated the stone and sand corruption trade from within the department. After his arrest, Islam told the court that he had no personal authority and had acted on the instructions of seniors. A Suri magistrate remanded him in police custody for eight days.Birbhum police are probing a multi-crore revenue evasion scam in the district’s stone belt. On July 29, police raided the Deucha residence of Tulu Mondal’s relative Minar Mondal and seized Rs 28 crore in cash and 15 kg of gold. Subsequent searches uncovered printing machinery, fake challans, pen drives, computers, 13 lakh cubic feet of illegal sand, Rs 220 crore in bank accounts and fixed deposits, properties spread across 400 bighas and more than 250 vehicles.Several alleged accomplices have been arrested, including the former Mohammad Bazaar land reforms officer, two land department clerks and police constable Saigal Hossain, a former bodyguard of Anubrata Mondal.On Oct 13, police filed a chargesheet before Suri district court naming 12 persons, including absconding Mondal and 11 arrested accused.Police also searched the Suri residence of Prabhat and Joli Mondal. Sources said the couple acted as Islam’s agents and that he had allegedly purchased benami properties in their names. Police issued Islam a notice for questioning, but he evaded summons before his arrest.
