Guv says tunnel below fake gold dealer’s house poses ‘national security concern’

Kolkata: Expressing “deep concern” over the reported discovery of a tunnel under the house of now arrested fake gold idol dealer Saddam Sardar, Governor C V Ananda Bose on Monday called it a matter of “national security concern” and urged the state government to conduct proper investigations to check if more such tunnels exist along the international borders and submit a report to him.

On Monday, a statement by Raj Bhavan stated: “The existence of the well planned and structured tunnel reportedly leading to a nearby canal flowing into the Matla River in the Sunderbans beyond which lies the Indo-Bangladesh international border gives rise to serious national security concern. Existence of such tunnels near the international border has serious National Security ramifications. It is a matter of serious concern that though the local police was reportedly aware of the thriving fake gold mafia, they let it thrive and now the situation has come to such a pass that it puts the State in a very bad light since it is compromising our national security.” The Governor called for a report under Article 167 (read with Rule 30 of the Rules of Business framed under Article 166 of the Constitution) on the action the state government has taken to check organised crime along the international borders that deal in different kinds of illegal trade.

Bose has also expressed concern over the “series of law and order situations where law enforcement agencies are subjected to assault in the course of discharge of their duties – be it the attack on the investigating Central Agencies in Sandeshkhali, Bongaon or Bhupatinagar and now Kultali. These attacks have become a modus operandi of the criminals and their political bosses to generate fear among the law enforcers and hinder investigations.”

The points to be present in the report include circumstances which led to the construction of such an elaborate tunnel; secondly, the reasons for alleged failure of the police and intelligence mechanism to detect such activity along the international border; thirdly, “apparent acts of omission and commission on the part of the police that led to thriving of the crime syndicates along the international border that obviously has terrible ramifications”; fourthly, “the disturbing frequency of flagrant violation of societal ethics and Rule of Law like disrobing and flogging of women in public, existence of kangaroo courts, and what action the state government has taken to address the situation”; lastly, “the reasons for apparently shoddy supervision of the police that is unable to put on leash rowdy and lumpen elements that are Soumyadip Mullick

plaguing the society.”