FIR against West Bengal's leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari over 'cyclone Yaas relief theft'

An FIR has been registered against BJP MLA and leader of opposition in West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari for his alleged involvement in theft of cyclone 'Yaas' relief material from a store of Contai Municipality in Purba Medinipur district, police said on Monday. The FIR lodged at the Kathi Police Station also mentioned names of Suvendu's brother Soumendu Adhikari, a former chief of the civic body, and two others, a senior officer said.

The FIR was registered on a complaint filed by Ratnadip Manna, a member of the board of administrators of the municipality, on June 1.

He had alleged that tarpaulin worth around Rs two lakh was stolen from a store managed by the municipality on May 29.

All of those named in the FIR have been booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

"The complainant said that the theft was done on the directions of the Adhikari brothers," the police officer told .

"Two persons have been arrested in the case so far," he said.

During interrogation, the two arrested persons have admitted that they were "directed by Suvendu and his brother Soumendu" to steal the relief material, a source in the Purba Medinipur District Police said.

Lok Sabha MP Sisir Adhikari, the father of Suvendu and Soumendu, said the FIR was "nothing but a conspiracy by the ruling Trinamool Congress".