Expelled CPI(M) member denies earning money illegally

AGARTALA: The CPI(M) leader in Marxist-ruled Tripura who lay on a bed of cash withdrawn from his own bank account to fulfil a long cherished dream, today denied charges of illegally earning the money.

"I have no hesitation in admitting that it was a foolish idea of sleeping on cash, but I have not earned a single paisa illegally. It was a joke," he told reporters here.

"We have always grown up in abject poverty. Neither I, nor my partners in work have ever seen Rs 15 lakh at once in our lives. One of my partners, Santosh Bhowmik, suggested we scatter the cash on the bed and take pictures in turn. Both of us clicked photos of ours jokingly," he said.

A group of 14 small contractors including Acharjee were awarded the work of constructing 700 public toilets under the Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Project (ILCS) in several wards of Agartala Municipal Council ( AMC), and the team completed 525 toilets and work for the rest 175 was on, official sources said.

The estimated cost of the entire project is Rs 1.21 crore.

Regarding his expulsion from the party, Acharjee said, "I have full respect for my party and whatever decision was taken by the party is acceptable to me. I also apologise for the childish behaviour."

Acharjee, a member of the Bankumari Local Committee of the CPI(M), was expelled from the party for immoral work, tarnishing the image of the party and earning money by illegal means, secretary of Dukli Divisional Committee Subrata Chakraborty had said.

The decision to expel Acharjee from the party was taken following deliberations of the Dukli Divisional Committee on Friday last.