Kolkata, May 5 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday issued a lookout notice against the Kolkata Police Deputy Commisioner, Santanu Sinha Biswas, officials said.

Sources aware of the development said that ED had sent a number of notices for interrogation to Sinha Biswas in connection with his involvement in two money laundering cases.

However, he did not answer any of these notices and skipped appearances from appearing at the ED’s Salt Lake office in the northern outskirts of Kolkata.

Sources added that the ED officials could get any information about the whereabouts of Sinha Biswas from his close relatives.

Sources said that in anticipation that Biswas, an extremely close confidante of the outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee might try to escape from the country amid the landslide defeat of Trinamool Congress in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections, the ED had issued a lookout notice against him.

The ED, recently, expanded its investigation into a high-profile money laundering case involving a sophisticated network of individuals and shell companies in West Bengal and conducted raid and search operations at the residence of Sinha Biswas in relation to the case.

Recently, ED officials arrested a Kolkata-based businessman Joy Kamdar in connection with the laundering case and investigation revealed Kamdar’s close links with Sinha Biswas.

It is alleged that Kamdar provided expensive gifts and favours several police officers, including Sinha Biswas and their families to gain influence within the department.

This influence was allegedly misused to file fraudulent complaints against individuals, particularly in disputes involving high-value immovable properties.

While the residential premises of Sinha Biswas were searched last month, the police officer was not present during the process and subsequently did not appear before ED’s investigation official for questioning despite multiple summons.

Sinha Biswas, had long been accused by nearly all the opposition parties in the state, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of acting as an agent of the ruling Trinamool Congress in uniform.

There had been several instances where Sinha Biswas was spotted in police programmes addressing Mamata Banerjee as “Mother” and explaining to the fellow police officers about the necessity of serving her interests.

–IANS

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