Why Did ED Raid 10 Locations, Including a West Bengal Minister’s Office?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- ED conducted raids at 10 locations in Kolkata related to two money laundering cases.
- One case involves a cash-for-jobs scandal linked to municipalities.
- Another case pertains to bank loan forgery.
- The investigations target high-profile political figures.
- CBI's parallel investigation adds complexity to the case.
Kolkata, Oct 10 (NationPress) Officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have been executing coordinated raids and search operations at 10 locations across Kolkata and its suburbs, including the office of a West Bengal Minister, as part of two distinct money laundering investigations in the state.
One case is associated with a multi-crore cash-for-municipal jobs scandal, while the other involves bank loan forgery.
The targeted locations include the office of Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose located in Salt Lake, on the northern fringes of Kolkata.
The ED's actions at Bose's office are directly tied to the irregularities surrounding municipal job placements.
Additional sites being searched since Friday morning encompass areas like New Alipore and Sarat Bose Road in South Kolkata, along with Nagerbajar in the northern outskirts of the capital.
In New Alipore, the residence of a prominent Calcutta High Court attorney is also under investigation. Each ED team is accompanied by personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
This is not the first instance of ED officials raiding Sujit Bose's premises regarding the municipal job irregularities. In January 2024, simultaneous raids were executed at his residence and office, where several incriminating documents and Bose's mobile phone were confiscated.
The current ED operations coincide with ongoing investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is poised to submit a new charge sheet in the case.
As per CBI sources, the son of a politically influential individual is also under scrutiny and has been questioned regarding the recruitment scam. His identity remains undisclosed. In light of these developments, the CBI is preparing to file a new charge sheet that will include significant findings.
The investigation was initiated following a CBI FIR, with the Calcutta High Court directing the registration of the FIR based on an application from the ED, stating that the recruitment scam extends beyond just school teachers to various municipal positions across West Bengal.