According to an ED official, central agency teams went to several premises in central Kolkata and the office of a chartered accountant in the Salt Lake area on the eastern fringes of the city to carry out search operations.

Central force personnel were seen guarding the premises as ED officials conducted the searches.

According to ED sources, all the locations searched on Monday were linked to TMC leader and Bongaon Municipality’s former chairman Shankar Addhya who was arrested from his residence in Bongaon of North 24 Parganas district earlier this month.

Addhya is said to be close to state minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, who was arrested late last year in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Public Distribution System. Mallick held the Food and Supplies portfolio from 2011 to 2021.

Meanwhile, ED’s counsel on Monday told the Calcutta High Court that it has found links of Addhya with another Shajahan Sheikh, TMC leader from Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas.

A team of ED officials was attacked by a mob on January 5 when they reached Sheikh’s house in Sandeshkhali in connection with its probe into the alleged ration scam.

Sheikh is currently absconding and ED has issued a look-out notice against him.