Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA and former Tripura Public Works Department Minister Badal Chowdhury was arrested in connection with an alleged scam worth Rs 630 crore, PTI reported on Tuesday.

West Tripura district Superintendent of Police Manik Das said that Chowdhury was arrested on Monday night. “Acting on information that Chowdhury was admitted to a hospital, police arrested him,” Das told reporters. “He would be taken into custody after he recovers from his illness.”

Former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar visited the hospital on Monday to meet Chowdhury. “He is in such a state of shock that he could not even speak to his wife or any of the leaders who went to see him at the hospital,” Sarkar was quoted as saying by ANI.

The Tripura High Court reserved its verdict on the anticipatory bail plea of Chowdhury till Tuesday.

On October 16, a local court had rejected the bail petition of Chowdhury in the case. A heavy search operation was launched by the police to arrest the absconding former minister.

Last week, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb took action against the state police for failing to arrest Chowdhury, according to NDTV. Eight police personnel have been reportedly placed under suspension.

Chowdhury was named in a first information report registered in the West Agartala Police Station by the Vigilance Department, which investigated the alleged Rs 630 crore construction work scam in the PWD in 2008.

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