Kolkata Police DC Biswas appears before ED in syndicate money laundering case
Synopsis
A senior Kolkata Police officer who skipped multiple ED summons — including one on the eve of a state election — finally walked into the CGO Complex for questioning. With two parallel ED probes running and a lookout notice already issued, Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas's appearance marks a rare moment of accountability for a serving officer in West Bengal.
Key Takeaways
Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas of Kolkata Police appeared before the ED on 14 May after skipping multiple prior summons.
The questioning is linked to a money laundering case against alleged syndicate operator Sona Pappu (Biswajit Poddar) , who faces charges of land grabbing, extortion, and Arms Act violations.
Businessman Joy Kamdar has already been arrested by the ED in the same case.
The ED raided Biswas's Fern Road residence last month and subsequently summoned him and his sons Sayantan and Manish — none of whom initially complied.
Biswas is also being probed in a separate sand smuggling financial misappropriation case.
A lookout notice was issued against Biswas before his appearance, amid fears he might leave the country.
Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the CGO Complex in Kolkata on Thursday, 14 May, for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged criminal syndicate. His appearance ends a prolonged standoff during which Biswas had skipped multiple ED summons, prompting the agency to issue a lookout notice against him.
Background to the Summons
The ED is investigating a money laundering case against an alleged criminal-linked syndicate run by Sona Pappu, also known as Biswajit Poddar, a resident of Ballygunge in south Kolkata. Poddar faces charges including land grabbing, extortion, and violations under the Arms Act. In connection with the same case, the ED has already arrested businessman Joy Kamdar.
Acting on leads in the case, the ED raided Biswas's residence on Fern Road last month. Following the search, Biswas was not seen publicly. The agency subsequently summoned him alongside his two sons, Sayantan and Manish, to the CGO Complex — but none of the three complied.
A Pattern of Non-Compliance
Biswas had been summoned by the ED on several prior occasions, including on 28 April — the day before the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly election. He did not appear on any of those dates. On one occasion, his lawyer attended in his place; according to reports, Biswas had cited a busy schedule as the reason for seeking additional time from investigators.
Two days before his eventual appearance, the ED wrote to the Directorate of Security seeking clarification on Biswas's current duty status — a procedural step widely seen as a pressure mechanism to compel his attendance. The agency had also issued a lookout notice, reportedly fearing he might attempt to leave the country.
The Sand Smuggling Angle
The syndicate case is not the only matter in which the ED sought to question Biswas. The agency had also summoned him in connection with a separate investigation into alleged financial misappropriation linked to a sand smuggling case. Biswas, who previously served as Officer-in-Charge of Kalighat Police Station in Bhabanipur, did not appear in that matter either.
The two parallel ED probes — one into the Sona Pappu syndicate and one into sand smuggling — place Biswas at the centre of a widening financial crimes investigation involving a senior serving police officer, a development with few precedents in recent West Bengal law enforcement history.
What Happens Next
The ED is expected to record Biswas's statement and assess his role, if any, in the alleged money laundering network. Whether his sons will be called again remains unclear. The agency's investigation into the Sona Pappu syndicate is ongoing, and further arrests or summons cannot be ruled out as the probe deepens.
Point of View
A letter to the Directorate of Security, and repeated no-shows — is not a routine development. It signals that the ED has enough material to sustain pressure on a senior officer, which is politically sensitive in West Bengal given the proximity of the summons to election dates. The two parallel probes, syndicate money laundering and sand smuggling, suggest investigators see Biswas as a connecting thread rather than a peripheral figure. Whether the state government's silence on the matter reflects institutional solidarity or a calculated wait-and-watch posture will become clearer as the ED moves to record his statement and potentially summons his sons again.
NationPress
15 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Kolkata Police DC Shantanu Sinha Biswas summoned by the ED?
The ED summoned Biswas as part of its money laundering investigation into an alleged criminal syndicate run by Sona Pappu (Biswajit Poddar), who faces charges of land grabbing, extortion, and Arms Act violations. Biswas is also separately being questioned in connection with a sand smuggling financial misappropriation case.
How many times did Biswas skip ED summons before appearing?
Biswas skipped multiple ED summons, including one on 28 April — the day before the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly election. He appeared before the agency on 14 May only after the ED issued a lookout notice and wrote to the Directorate of Security about his duty status.
Who is Sona Pappu and what is the ED case against him?
Sona Pappu, whose real name is Biswajit Poddar, is a resident of Ballygunge in south Kolkata. He allegedly ran a criminal-linked syndicate and faces charges including land grabbing, extortion, and Arms Act violations. The ED is investigating money laundering linked to his operations and has already arrested businessman Joy Kamdar in the case.
What action did the ED take to compel Biswas's appearance?
The ED issued a lookout notice against Biswas, fearing he might leave the country, and wrote to the Directorate of Security to verify his duty status. These steps, combined with the earlier raid on his Fern Road residence, preceded his eventual appearance on 14 May.
Are Biswas's sons also under investigation?
The ED had summoned Biswas's two sons, Sayantan and Manish, to the CGO Complex in connection with the Sona Pappu case. Neither appeared on the date they were called. It remains unclear whether fresh summons will be issued to them.
