ED raids TMC trio’s homes with CRPF standing guard
Times of India | 13 January 2024
KOLKATA: A week after an ED squad en route to TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan's home for a raid was attacked, CRPF teams in riot gear stood guard on Friday as officers from the agency entered the Kolkata residences of three party leaders - Bengal fire services minister Sujit Bose, MLA Tapas Ray and councillor Subodh Chakraborty - for coordinated raids linked to the municipal recruitment scam.
The morning knock on the doors of the TMC troika led to a search that continued till evening, with ED camping the longest - 13.5 hours - in Bose's home.
According to Bose and Ray, the officers took away their mobile phones and several documents. Calcutta high court is monitoring the probe into the scam.
At 6.40am, CRPF men took positions in the Lake Town neighbourhood where Bose lives, setting the stage for ED's entry. The caretaker at the minister's home kept the officers waiting, arguing with them for 20 minutes before giving in.
Around the same time, another ED team reached Ray's home along north Kolkata's BB Ganguly Street, where CRPF personnel kept watch from the rooftop of a house in the vicinity. The Baranagar MLA's home and offices were searched for 11 hours. A third ED team searched the residence of councillor Chakraborty in nearby Baranagar. Chakraborty, a former chairperson of North Dum Dum Municipality, was questioned for a few hours.
"I made only two requests. I had 14 programmes scheduled for the day as part of Swami Vivekananda's birth centenary celebration. I urged them to let me go early, but they took over 13 hours. I had to cancel everything," Bose told reporters later.
"When they seized my mobile, I told them this was an emergency number related to my work as fire and emergency services minister. They wouldn't listen. My wife, daughter, son and I cooperated with them, and will continue to do so."
The minister said if anyone could prove he had "taken a paisa for jobs", he would instantly send his resignation to CM Mamata Banerjee.
Bose was vice-chairperson of South Dumdum Municipality between 2010 and 2021. Nearly 250 appointments to Group C & D vacancies between 2010 and 2015 are under the scanner. ED had earlier questioned an aide of the minister, Nitai Datta. Ray said he had no idea how his name came up during the probe. "Maybe it is due to my political affiliation. They have collected some job application letters that candidates and their families sent me a long time ago."
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said ED and CBI were "mere actors playing out an old pre-poll script of political conspiracy penned by BJP".
ED, CBI just actors in BJP’s pre-poll script, says TMC
At 6.40am, CRPF men took positions in the Lake Town neighbourhood where Bose lives, setting the stage for ED’s entry. The caretaker at the minister’s home kept the officers waiting, arguing with them for 20 minutes before giving in.
Around the same time, another ED team reached Ray’s home along north Kolkata’s BB Ganguly Street, where CRPF personnel kept watch from the rooftop of a house in the vicinity. The Baranagar MLA’s home and offices were searched for 11 hours.
A third ED team searched the residence of councillor Chakraborty in nearby Baranagar. Chakraborty, a former chairperson of North Dum Dum Municipality, was questioned for a few hours.
“I made only two requests. I had 14 programmes scheduled for the day as part of Swami Vivekananda’s birth centenary celebration. I urged them to let me go early, but they took over 13 hours. I had to cancel everything,” Bose told reporters later.
“When they seized my mobile, I told them this was an emergency number related to my work as fire and emergency services minister. They wouldn’t listen. My wife, daughter, son and I cooperated with them, and will continue to do so.” The minister said if anyone could prove he had “taken a paisa for jobs”, he would instantly send his resignation to CM Mamata Banerjee. Bose was vice-chairperson of South Dumdum Municipality between 2010 and 2021. Nearly 250 appointments to Group C & D vacancies between 2010 and 2015 are under the scanner. ED had earlier questioned an aide of the minister, Nitai Datta. Ray said he had no idea how his name came up during the probe. “Maybe it is due to my political affiliation. They have collected some job application letters that candidates and their families sent me a long time ago.” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said ED and CBI were “mere actors playing out an old pre-poll script of political conspiracy penned by BJP”. “Rejected by people, they (BJP) are morally and politically bankrupt. They are trying to restrain, harass and disturb TMC leaders, hoping to empty the political field. They believe that’s the only way they can fight this political battle (in Bengal) But people know what ‘khela hobe’ (the party’s poll slogan) means; they are with Mamata and Trinamool.”
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