Kolkata, July 31 -- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out extensive searches at 12 locations in Kolkata linked to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and former Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Sabyasachi Dutta, intensifying its money laundering investigation into alleged assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The coordinated crackdown spans multiple properties in Salt Lake, Rajarhat, Khidderpore, and Short Street. The central agency is trying to locate both Dutta's personal premises and those belonging to his close associates, including a businessman.
The financial probe was officially initiated in late June following Dutta's arrest by the cops of Bidhannagar North police station earlier that month. According to sources, the ED's active intervention was triggered after the Bidhannagar City Police recently recovered kg of gold from bank lockers and a Rajarhat apartment registered directly in Dutta's name. Subsequent raids and document scrutiny have reportedly uncovered gold purchase receipts valued at a staggering Rs 76 crore. Investigators suspect this wealth was accumulated through a systematic extortion racket and subsequently laundered into bullion and luxury real estate.
The money trail had also led ED officials to the residence of Tina Bhowmik, a local TMC leader and close confidant of the former MLA. Investigators believe Bhowmik's properties were used to store and move a portion of the illicit gold consignments.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.