ACC accelerates probe against OC Pradeep’s illegal wealth

Highlights: 

• Pradeep, his wife have already submitted the details of their wealth to the ACC 
• Pradeep has a luxurious flat in Chattogram, partnership in 2 hotels and a flat in Cox's Bazar
• He is also accused of laundering money to countries like Australia and India
• There are huge assets in his wife's name, including fisheries farms.
• The couple told the ACC that their immovable properties are worth around Tk3.60 crore, but the bulding in Chattogram alone is worth around Tk12 crore

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has picked up speed in investigation into illegal wealth of Pradeep Kumar Das, former officer-in-charge (OC) of Teknaf Police Station, and his wife Chumki Karon.

Deputy Director Mahabubul Alam of ACC Chattogram unit-2 told The Business Standard that he will submit the investigation report as soon as possible. 

The ACC started the investigation around a year ago, but it slowed down after a while. When Pradeep was arrested over the murder of Major (retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan, the ACC paced up the investigation again. 

Pradeep and his wife have already submitted the details of their wealth to the ACC. 

Sources at the ACC said they have primary evidence that Pradeep and Chumki amassed illegal wealth beyond their known sources of income.

The sources said Pradeep has a luxurious flat in Chattogram city's Lalkhan Bazar, partnership in two hotels and a flat in Cox's Bazar. He is also accused of laundering money to countries like Australia and India. 

In Boalkhali of Chattogram, there are huge assets in his wife's name. She also has fisheries farms. 

The couple told the ACC that their immovable properties are worth around Tk3.60 crore. Among these, there is a private car worth around Tk5 lakh and 45 bhoris of gold, said the sources. 

Luxury building in Chattogram

The luxury building named "Laxmikunja" in Chattogram city's Patharghata is owned by Chumki.

Locals said the six-storey building on around four kathas of land was built in 2005. Sources said the land was bought from a Buddhist woman and Pradeep then built the building which has 12 flats. 

However, Pradeep's brother-in-law Shimul Das claimed that the building is owned by his sister and it is not a property of Pradeep. 

He said his father gave the land and built the house for his sister. Pradeep's in-laws' house is also adjacent to the building. 

Currently, the bulding, along with the land, is worth approximately Tk12 crore, said locals. But sources at the ACC said the couple told them that the price of the land is around Tk86.76 lakh and the building is worth around Tk1.30 crore.

Pradeep also has around six kathas of land worth around Tk5 crore in Chattogram city's Muradpur area.

He joined the police department in 1996 as a sub-inspector. Later, he was promoted to an officer-in-charge. 

His village home is in Boalkhali, and he worked in Chattogram and Cox's Bazar areas during most of his career. 

He was withdrawn to the police lines over the killing of retired major Sinha in police firing. 

Sinha's sister Sharmin Shahria Ferdous filed a case with Teknaf Upazila Judicial Magistrate court.

On Thursday, Pradeep was arrested and put on a seven-day remand. 

He was suspended several times for his misconduct and anomalies earlier. On November 16, 2015, he was suspended temporarily from the city's Bayezid Police Station for harrasing a businessman following an investigation. 

In 2012, he was withdrawn from Patenga Police Station.

His brother Sadip Kumar Das also worked as an officer-in-charge at Double Mooring Police Station in Chattogram.