Rooppur pillow scam: HC asks for updates on action against culprits

The High Court (HC) has asked the government to report what actions have been taken against the culprits involved in Tk36 crore furniture purchase anomalies at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

The bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Md Shohrowardi on Sunday ordered the government to submit the report within October 20.

Social media flooded with criticisms soon after the purchase anomaly of the nuke plant housing came to light in last May.

The purchase prices of various stuffs to furnish the project’s apartments for the officials and employees were unusually higher than the market prices, the media reported.

A pillow was found to have been bought for Tk5,957 while its carrying cost from the shop to the building was at Tk760.

The government formed two probe committees to look into the fraud. The reports found a total of Tk36.4 crore was swindled in the “pillow scam” under the project for Rooppur in Pabna — a western Bangladeshi district 213km from the capital.

According to the media report, an electric stove was bought for Tk7,747 and the carrying cost from the ground floor to the top cost Tk6,650. An electric iron cost Tk4,154 while its carrying cost was Tk2,945.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney General Amatul Karim Swapna represented the state in the court while writ petitioner barrister Sayedul Haque Suman was also present.