ED attaches ₹2.78 crore assets of ex-Kolkata Police DCP in Sona Pappu case
Synopsis
A former Kolkata Police DCP is at the centre of a money laundering probe that has now seen ₹2.78 crore in property attached — including three city flats and Murshidabad land. The case alleges a police-criminal nexus forged at Kalighat Police Station, with ₹1.64 crore cash, an unlicensed revolver, and a Toyota Fortuner already seized. All three accused are in judicial custody.
Key Takeaways
The ED's Kolkata Zonal Office provisionally attached properties worth ₹2.78 crore on 12 November under the PMLA, 2002 .
Attached assets include three flats in Kolkata and land parcels at Kandi, Murshidabad , belonging to ex-DCP Santanu Sinha Biswas , his family, and associates.
Earlier raids recovered ₹1.64 crore in cash , gold jewellery, a Toyota Fortuner , and an unlicensed revolver .
All three accused — Biswas , Jay S.
Kamdar , and Biswajit Podder (alias Sona Pappu) — are in judicial custody .
ED alleges Biswas acquired proceeds of crime worth at least ₹2.89 crore and had an active nexus with Kamdar from his days as OC of Kalighat Police Station .
The Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s Kolkata Zonal Office has provisionally attached immovable properties worth ₹2.78 crore belonging to former Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner of Police Santanu Sinha Biswas, his family members, and associates in connection with the Sona Pappu money laundering case. The attachment, confirmed on Thursday, 12 November, covers three flats in Kolkata and land parcels at Kandi in Murshidabad district — all classified as proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
What Was Attached and Why
The provisionally attached assets include three residential flats in Kolkata and agricultural or non-agricultural land parcels in Kandi, Murshidabad. According to the ED, these properties were acquired using funds generated through extortion, illegal real estate grabbing, and unauthorised construction carried out via entities controlled by alleged criminal Biswajit Podder, alias Sona Pappu, and his associates.
The ED's investigation was triggered by multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by the West Bengal Police against Podder and his network, involving charges of murder, extortion, and land-grabbing. This attachment order is a significant escalation in what has become one of Kolkata's more high-profile organised-crime probes.
Earlier Raids and Seizures
Prior to the attachment, ED investigators conducted coordinated searches at residences linked to Biswas, Jay S. Kamdar, and Podder across Kolkata and adjoining areas. Those operations yielded ₹1.64 crore in cash, gold jewellery, a Toyota Fortuner vehicle, an unlicensed revolver, and various incriminating documents and digital devices.
Following the searches, all three accused were arrested and are currently remanded in judicial custody, according to the agency.
The Police-Criminal Nexus Investigators Allege
At the centre of the ED's findings is an alleged nexus between Biswas and Kamdar dating back to Biswas's tenure as Officer-in-Charge of Kalighat Police Station — before his elevation to the DCP rank. Investigators allege that Biswas actively facilitated Kamdar's illicit operations during this period, enabling Kamdar to reportedly wield significant influence within the police establishment.
The ED has further stated that Biswas directly and indirectly acquired, concealed, and possessed proceeds of crime amounting to at least ₹2.89 crore — slightly exceeding the value of the properties now attached.
Significance and What Comes Next
The case is notable for the seniority of the accused: a serving DCP-rank officer allegedly embedded in a criminal network is rare even by the standards of past West Bengal organised-crime cases. This is not the first time Kolkata Police personnel have faced ED scrutiny — the agency has previously pursued officers linked to the Narada and cattle-smuggling cases — but the Sona Pappu attachment adds a fresh layer of institutional scrutiny on the force.
With all three accused in judicial custody and assets now formally attached, the ED is expected to file a prosecution complaint before the designated PMLA court as the next procedural step. Further attachments remain possible if investigators identify additional proceeds of crime.
Point of View
Transfers, and internal reviews. The ED's PMLA route, while effective for asset attachment, sidesteps the question of how Biswas rose through the ranks while this nexus allegedly flourished. With West Bengal already under political and judicial scrutiny on law-and-order, the case adds pressure on a police establishment that has repeatedly faced questions about selective enforcement. The real accountability gap here is not just individual — it is structural.
NationPress
12 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sona Pappu money laundering case?
The Sona Pappu case involves alleged criminal Biswajit Podder, alias Sona Pappu, who is accused of murder, extortion, and land-grabbing in Kolkata and surrounding areas. The ED launched a money laundering probe under the PMLA, 2002, based on multiple FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police against Podder and his associates.
Why has the ED attached assets of a former Kolkata Police DCP?
The ED alleges that former DCP Santanu Sinha Biswas developed a criminal nexus with associate Jay S. Kamdar during his tenure as Officer-in-Charge of Kalighat Police Station and actively facilitated Kamdar's illicit operations. Investigators say Biswas acquired at least ₹2.89 crore in proceeds of crime, leading to the provisional attachment of ₹2.78 crore worth of properties.
What properties have been attached by the ED in this case?
The ED has attached three residential flats in Kolkata and land parcels at Kandi in Murshidabad district, together valued at ₹2.78 crore. These are classified as proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
What was seized during the ED raids before the attachment?
ED searches at properties linked to Biswas, Kamdar, and Podder yielded ₹1.64 crore in cash, gold jewellery, a Toyota Fortuner vehicle, an unlicensed revolver, and various incriminating documents and digital devices.
What happens next in the Sona Pappu ED case?
All three accused — Biswas, Kamdar, and Podder — are currently in judicial custody. The ED is expected to file a prosecution complaint before the designated PMLA court as the next step, and further asset attachments remain possible if additional proceeds of crime are identified.
