Smuggling racket: 2 rifle factory officials suspended

Kolkata: Concerned over the arrest of its two officials by the special task force (STF) of the Kolkata police earlier this week in the alleged smuggling of arms from its establishment, the Rifle Factory Ishapore (RFI), which is under the Kolkata-headquartered Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) of the ministry of defence, has suspended the duo and constituted a board of inquiry.

It has also intensifed security at its facility in North 24 Parganas. On May 6, the STF arrested two junior works managers (JWM): Sukanta Basu and Sukhada Murmu along with four others for allegedly smuggling out components of arms from the RFI and supplying them to the Maoists in Bihar.

On Friday, OFB public relations officer Uddipan Mukherjee told this newspaper, “The two JWMs have been put under deemed suspension with effect from May 6 afternoon. They were served the suspension orders on May 9. Besides, a board of inquiry has been constituted at the RFI and it has been asked to probe the incident and submit its report to the OFB at the earliest.”

RFI general manager D.K. Mahapatra who set up the probe panel on May 9 is expected to submit the inquiry report to OFB chairman Sunil Kumar Chourasia and the director general, Ordnance Factories, in the next two-three weeks, sources revealed.

Mr Mukherjee elaborated, “Security measures are already in place. However, the RFI has beefed up security at the place where the scrap items are kept because the alleged theft took place there. Frisking of personnel and checking of vehicles at RFI have been increased. The CCTV network has been extended. New CCTVs have been installed while some have been relocated to cover the maximum vulnerable areas. We will extend all cooperation to the police as it is related to national security.”