Lokpal disposes of corruption complaints against DMK MP, rebel Trinamool lawmaker

New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) Anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal has disposed of corruption complaints against a Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member, who had announced a rebellion against Mamta Banerjee, and a DMK lawmaker in separate cases, ruling that the allegations against them were “devoid of merit”.

Rebel Trinamool leader Arup Chakraborty, while reacting to the Lokpal’s decision, called the allegations against him “vexatious and baseless”, while DMK MP Kalanidhi Veeraswamy said the ruling “speaks for itself”, declining to comment further as the matter remains sub judice.

“The allegations were vexatious and baseless. The Lokpal’s order has made it amply clear,” Chakraborty told PTI.

A Lok Sabha MP from Bankura, Chakraborty was among 20 Trinamool MPs who declared a rebellion against their party and joined the Nationalist Citizen Party of India (NCPI), a registered unrecognised political party, days after the BJP swept to power in Bengal in May.

Veeraswamy, when approached by PTI, said, “The order speaks for itself. A case is pending in the Madras High Court, which makes the matter sub judice.” Hearing the complaint against Chakraborty, the Lokpal said that allegations against him remained unsubstantiated during a preliminary inquiry conducted by the CBI.

The anti-graft body had directed the CBI in November last year to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations against Chakraborty, referred to as respondent public servant (RPS) in its order.

In its report dated August 28, the inquiry officer, after examining over 45 documents and recording the statements of six witnesses, alongside comments from the RPS, outlined six allegations of corruption.

The order said the primary allegation was that Chakraborty managed illegal activities through his brother, Ashis Chakraborty, who allegedly acted as a conduit to execute corrupt designs, collect illegal proceeds, and coerce the local residents with support from local officials.

The other charges included unlawful handover of a government fishery project and illegal earnings of Rs 50 lakh per month since 2016 from the ‘Tarapur Jhil’ in his constituency.

“In the preliminary inquiry report, the inquiry officer has done copious analysis of the relevant materials and evidence collated during the inquiry and then opined that all six allegations remained unsubstantiated,” the order dated September 10 said.

It added that no further action was required, particularly as the alleged activities occurred when the RPS was an MLA and not an MP, placing the matter outside the ambit of Section 14 of the Lokpal Act, which governs its jurisdiction.

“Accordingly, this complaint is disposed of being devoid of merit,” the order, passed by a six-member bench headed by Lokpal Chairperson Justice A M Khanwilkar, said.

In a separate order, the Lokpal disposed of a complaint against Veeraswamy, the DMK MP representing Chennai North.

The complaint dated September 10, 2025, alleged that the MP engaged in fraud, intimidation and abuse of influence.

It also claimed he coerced the complainant into accepting Rs 38 lakh for an investment worth Rs 1.70 crore in a Chennai shopping mall.

Following a CBI inquiry ordered on November 10, 2025, which involved examining nine witnesses and 32 documents, the inquiry officer submitted a final report on August 19, saying that no material was forthcoming to show the involvement of the DMP MP, as was seen from the events unfolded after the complainant had reported the matter to the local police.

“In our opinion, the conclusion reached by the inquiry officer that the allegations levelled against the RPS in the complaint are not substantiated need no interference. We agree with the same. In view of the above, this complaint is disposed of as being devoid of merit,” the Lokpal said. PTI AKV SKL ARI ARI

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