The block development officer of Harishchandrapur-I block of Malda has filed police complaints against the head of the local panchayat samiti and two of its members for siphoning funds allotted for the aid of flood victims.

The trio from Trinamul are Koyel Das, sabhapati (head) of the Trinamul-run Harishchandrapur-I panchayat samiti, Roushnara Khatun, the member in charge of women and child development at the samiti and Sujata Saha, the leader of Opposition in the samiti. Sujata had won on a BJP ticket and defected to Trinamul, but her designation stayed the same.

All three have gone into hiding. Police are in search of them.

Trinamul leaders in Malda have distanced themselves from the scam.

Sources said since the past few weeks, officials of the block and subdivisional administration of Chanchal have been receiving complaints that genuine beneficiaries affected in a 2017 flood had not received the cash aid though the fund was allocated by the state.

“As we probed the allegations, we came to know that these three elected representatives, who are also office-bearers at the panchayat samiti, made a list of fake beneficiaries, opened fake bank accounts and siphoned the funds while depriving the genuine beneficiaries. That is why police complaints have been filed against them. We are yet to find out the total sum siphoned,” said an official of the block administration.

“Such corruption has exposed Trinamul and the party will feel the repercussions in the next rural polls,” said Rupesh Agarwala, a BJP leader.

Manik Das, Harishchandrapur-I block president of Trinamul, played safe. “We don’t support corruption. The law will take its own course. If found guilty, the party will also take steps against them,” said Das.

“Sujata Saha has won on a BJP ticket at the 2018 panchayat elections but soon defected to Trinamul. Trinamul did not remove her from the post of leader of Opposition and neither allowed other BJP members to take steps so that she can be removed. These three representatives are involved in the scam,” said a source.

A few days back, a former panchayat member of Trinamul was arrested in the same block for a similar scam. The BDO filed a complaint against a Trinamul pradhan of the same block for misappropriating funds meant for families affected in the 2017 flood.

Officials in the subdivisional administration of Chanchal said they are taking appropriate steps.

“Complaints have been lodged based on the findings of our investigation. The police will take further steps now,” said Kallol Roy, the SDO of Chanchal.