Kolkata, Jan 15 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), accompanied by Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel, was conducting simultaneous raids and search operations at five locations in and around Kolkata on Thursday in connection with a probe into a multi-crore bank loan forgery.

The places where the simultaneous raid and search operations were being conducted include the posh locality of Alipore in South Kolkata and New Town in the northern outskirts of Kolkata.

Sources aware of the development said the simultaneous raid and search operations are being conducted at the residences of some influential businessmen operating out of Kolkata. The main allegations against them are securing crores of bank loans by furnishing forged documents required for the processing of those loans.

“The raid and search operations are being conducted based on the specific complaints filed by the bank authorities in the matter,” a source aware of the development said.

It is learnt that at Alipore, the raid and search operations are being conducted at the residence of an influential woman entrepreneur.

Incidentally, the number of CAPF personnel accompanying the CBI teams conducting the simultaneous raid and search operations is much more than the usual numbers in similar actions in the past.

It is perceived that the additional CAPF personnel deployment for escorting the CBI officers on Thursday was done deliberately in view of the experience faced by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials last week while conducting simultaneous raid and search operations at the Indian Political Action Committee office at Salt Lake and I-PAC co-founder Pratik Jain’s residence.

During the simultaneous raid and search operations last week, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accompanied by senior bureaucrats and police officers, stormed both places one after another, and left after collecting several paper files and electronic documents.

A crucial hearing in the matter is scheduled at the Supreme Court on Thursday.

–IANS

src/dpb