The CBI on Wednesday morning raided several residences of West Bengal minister Moloy Ghatak in connection with its probe into a coal smuggling scam, an officer said.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths conducted raids at three houses of Ghatak in Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district and one in the Lake Gardens area of Kolkata.
The agency, aided by a huge contingent of central paramilitary personnel, conducted searches in these properties in connection with the scam. Women officers were also part of the team.
"As his name surfaced in the coal smuggling scam, we need to find out what was his role in it. We have evidence of Ghatak's involvement in the scam," the CBI officer said.
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Ghatak was not present in any of his residences when the raids took place.
The CBI sleuths took away mobile phones from the state law minister's family members and made them sit in one room in his Asansol houses, he said.
The entire area around Ghatak's residence was surrounded by central forces when the raids took place.
The agency also conducted searches at four different places in Kolkata in connection with the scam.
Incidentally, Ghatak, the Asansol Uttar MLA, has appeared once before Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers at its Delhi office for questioning in connection with the coal pilferage case.
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He, however, has skipped several other summonses of the ED in connection with the scam.
CBI raids TMC minister Abhishek Banerjee in connection with coal scam
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee was also under the radar of the CBI in connection with a coal scam. Banerjee was called for multiple summonses in Delhi.
In June, the CBI interrogated Banerjee's wife Rujira at their south Kolkata residence on Tuesday morning in connection with the coal pilferage scam, a senior officer said.
It is alleged that illegal mining of coal was done at leasehold mines of Eastern Coalfields' in Kunustoria and Kajora areas near Asansol. Investigations have hinted towards financial transactions of Rs 1,300 crore, the bulk of which went to several influential people, as per the CBI.
The probe revealed that the money was deposited in foreign bank accounts of these influential people through hawala.
Anubrata Mondal under CBI scanner
The CBI in August conducted raids and search operations at the residences of TMC strongman Anubrata Mondal, his chartered accountant, a councillor of Bolpur Municipality, and a local businessman in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam.
It is learned that CBI sleuths have also identified several properties registered in the names of Anubrata Mondal’s late wife Chobi Mondal and his bodyguard, Sehgal Hosssian.
The central agency sleuths have already confiscated bank fixed deposits worth Rs 16.97 crore held by Anubrata Mondal and his family.
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ED raids Partha Chatterjee's properties
In July, early this year, suspended TMC minister Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the ED after the central probe agency recovered Rs 50 crore in cash and jewellery from multiple residences of his aide Arpita Mukherjee.
The ED has started the process of freezing at least three bank accounts of Arpita Mukherjee, the close aide of suspended TMC leader Partha Chatterjee, where ED has found at least Rs 2 crore, said a senior ED official on Saturday.
The officer added that bank accounts belonging to several "shell companies" of Mukherjee are also under the ED scanner.
(with PTI inputs)
