The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today carried out a series of coordinated raids across Kolkata and its adjoining areas in connection with alleged land grabbing and financial irregularities involving a city-based firm. The operation, conducted just weeks before the West Bengal Assembly Elections, has triggered fresh political reactions and intensified the ongoing poll-season discourse.
According to sources, multiple ED teams fanned out to 7–8 locations early in the morning, including residential and office premises linked to officials of the firm under investigation. One of the key locations searched includes a businessman’s residence at Ballygunge Place. The teams were accompanied by central security personnel as part of the operation.
The agency is probing allegations that the firm illegally encroached on land belonging to several individuals and allegedly misled the public under the guise of specific real estate projects. Officials said that around 16–17 FIRs have been registered against the firm across various police stations, including in Kolkata, prompting the ED to intensify its investigation.
During the raids, officials examined documents related to land ownership, financial transactions, and other records. Sources indicate that certain individuals associated with the firm may soon be summoned for questioning as the probe progresses.
The development comes at a politically sensitive time, with the Model Code of Conduct already in force for the upcoming elections. Polling for all 294 Assembly seats is scheduled in two phases—on April 23 and April 29—while counting will take place on May 4.
This is not the first such action by the ED in recent months. On January 8, the agency had conducted searches at the Salt Lake office of I-PAC, an election strategy firm linked to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), as well as at the Loudon Street residence of its director, Pratik Jain. During that operation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the premises, leading to a confrontation with ED officials.
The ED had alleged that Mamata misused her authority to remove official documents from the site, while the Chief Minister maintained that she was preventing the illegal seizure of materials related to her party’s campaign. The matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court.
Separately, in connection with an alleged coal smuggling case, ED officials had also conducted a search at a residence in Durgapur linked to a state police officer accused of financial misconduct. Despite being summoned multiple times, the officer has reportedly not appeared before the agency. Investigators are likely to issue fresh summons in that case as well.
With the latest round of searches, the ED has once again stepped up its activities in the state, adding another layer of tension to the already charged political atmosphere ahead of the elections.
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