NIN365 Desk, Kolkata : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday raided the residences and offices of West Bengal Fire Minister Sujit Bose, Trinamool Congress MLA Tapas Roy and former chairman of North Dum Dum municipality Subodh Chakraborty. The search operations were in connection to a municipal recruitment scam. The raids come a week after ED officials were assaulted and their vehicles were ransacked by a mob in Sandeshkhali on January 5 while they conducted a raid at TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikha’s residence. Three ED officers were injured and had to be hospitalised.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Legislative Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari hit out at the TMC leader saying, “There will be ED raids in a thief’s home. Sujit Bose is involved in the South Dumdum Municipality recruitment scam… Tapas Roy is also involved in the Baranagar Municipality recruitment scam. The youth and the people of Bengal want them to go behind the bars.”
TMC State General Secretary Kunal Ghosh slammed the BJP over the ‘thieves” remark as well as the central agency’s action saying, “What ED is doing is a politically vindictive attitude and it is happening on BJP’s instructions. BJP has lost and they have no power to face the TMC. Hence they are misusing the agencies… Suvendhu is a thief. CBI has registered an FIR against him. BJP released his video in the market. BJP called him a thief…”
The raids come in the wake of tensions surrounding the recent attack on an ED team during a search operation at the residence of Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkali. The ED, accompanied by security personnel, faced an attack on January 5 while probing the multi-crore ration distribution case.
On Friday morning, an ED team raided Bose’s two residences in the Sreebhumi area. Another team raided Roy’s apartment and office in Bowbazar while another went to Chakraborty’s residence in Birati. The teams were escorted by a large number of central force jawans.
The raids were in connection to a recruitment scam in various municipalities in West Bengal. It is alleged that hundreds of jobs were given in exchange for money in the municipalities.Roy, the TMC deputy chief whip in the Assembly, is an MLA from Baranagar. The Baranagar municipality is one of the municipalities under the ED’s radar in the recruitment scam.
Bose’s residence is being raided in connection to recruitment scams in North and South Dum Dum municipalities. “Sujit Bose is directly linked with the recruitment scam in South Dum Dum Municipality. Seventy TMC leaders are involved in the recruitment scam. They should all start packing their bags,” said Suvendu Adhikari, BJP MLA and leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly.
The raids come in the wake of tensions surrounding the recent attack on an ED team during a search operation at the residence of Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkali. The ED, accompanied by security personnel, faced an attack on January 5 while probing the multi-crore ration distribution case.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose shed light on the state government’s response to the ongoing investigations, stating, “The meeting of the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary was as directed by the Chief Minister. What they conveyed to me, as I considered the opinion of the Government on certain burning issues which are vexing us these days, particularly in the background of the harassment of the ED. They have given me some valuable input. Since the investigation is going on, I would like to keep it confidential,” as quoted by ANI.
Responding to queries about the delay in arresting Sheikh Sahajahan in connection with the attack on the ED team, Governor CV Ananda Bose remarked, “My statement is on record. The reasons why it is delayed have been explained to me. I am convinced. Since the investigation is going on, I don’t want to reveal the details… Action will be there. This is fact-finding, data gathering, analysing time is over, action will be there.”
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