Kolkata, April 17 (IANS) The officials of the Income Tax Department, heavily escorted by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), were on Friday conducting simultaneous raids and search operations at several locations linked to Trinamool Congress legislator Debasish Kumar.

Kumar is also the Member-Mayor-in-Council (MMIC) of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (MMIC). The raids are being conducted at his residence and electoral camp office in South Kolkata in connection with an illegal land-grabbing case.

Kumar, who is the Trinamool Congress candidate from Rashbehari Assembly Constituency this time, was at his residence in Manohar Pukur Road in South Kolkata when two teams of the Income Tax department reached his residence and electoral camp office at around 6.30 a.m. and started conducting simultaneous raids and search operations.

Last month, on receiving the summons of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), he appeared at the central investigative agency’s Salt Lake office in the northern outskirts of Kolkata and faced marathon interrogation in connection with the same illegal land-grabbing case.

After that, he was again served notices thrice in the current month of April by ED for further appearance for interrogation. However, he refrained from further appearances.

More details and an official statement are awaited.

Meanwhile, the local Trinamool Congress supporters have started staging protest demonstrations near the residence and electoral camp office of Kumar, alleging that the Income Tax actions just six days before the first phase of the two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal on April 23 are nothing but a reflection of the political vendetta by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Centre.

Incidentally, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while addressing a campaign rally recently, expressed concern about the possibility of arrest of her party leaders and workers.

To recall, on March 28, the ED officials conducted searches in Kolkata and some adjacent areas in connection with a land-grabbing case. On that day, searches were also conducted at the office of an organisation in the city and the homes of officials associated with it. Sources said the search operations were in relation to an illegal land-grabbing case.

There are charges against the said organisation of duping investors by making them invest their money in schemes promising hefty returns. During the course of the investigation, the name of Kumar surfaced, and based on their findings, the investigating officials of ED summoned him.

ED started its investigation into the matter based on around 17 FIRs registered against the organisation in different police stations in West Bengal. During the raid and search operations on March 28, the ED officials examined the books of accounts of the said organisation and also questioned its directors and senior officials. It was during this investigation and interrogation that Kumar’s name surfaced, and investigating officials decided to question him in the matter.

–IANS

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