The Enforcement Directorate on Friday summoned TMC leader Debasish Kumar, who is also the party candidate from Rashbehari in South Kolkata, for questioning in connection with a land-grabbing case for the second time in one week.
Kumar was seen entering the Enforcement Directorate office in CGO complex around 11:30 am.
The outgoing MLA of the Rashbehari constituency, Kumar, is also a member of Mayor in Council of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
According to sources, the ED had recently conducted raids at the residence of businessman Amit Gangopadhyay and other partners of the firm in question, recovering several documents. During the raids, the agency also seized certain phone chats where pictures and information of several disputed lands were sent to Kumar.
Investigators found that Gangopadhyay allegedly sought disputed property documents, created papers for those properties, and sold them at high prices. These properties reportedly belonged to KMC. Kumar’s name had surfaced during the investigation.
Sources further stated that the company accused of illegal land acquisition and construction had carried out projects in various locations with municipal assistance, including areas under Debashis Kumar’s jurisdiction. Following complaints about this illegal construction, the Central investigation agency conducted searches. ED sources shared that the agency is investigating “why Gangopadhyay and his partners were sending pictures and information regarding the disputed lands to Kumar” . The agency is also probing if Kumar had any link with the sale of the disputed properties and if there was any exchange of money and in case there was, the ED will also probe the money trail.
According to ED sources, Kumar is also being questioned if he had any relation with the said businessman and his partners. Kumar will also be probed on how without his knowledge, documents of the disputed properties were being provided to the said businessman. According to ED sources, they will also be investigating the role of KMC staff in connection with the incident and how the businessman was getting information from the KMC regarding disputed properties. Earlier this week, the ED had conducted raids at the residence of history sheeter Biswajit Poddar alias Sona Pappu on Fern road along with five other locations and at the residence of a businessman in Behala. ED had recovered Rs 1.2 crore for which the businessman could not provide any answer.
Meanwhile ED has summoned two other TMC candidates Sujit Bose, who is running from Bidhannagar, and Rathin Ghosh, the party candidate from Madhyamgram, in connection with the cash-for-job municipal scam case. Bose was the Fire and Emergency Service Minister while Ghosh was the Food and Supplies Minister. Bose was summoned on Monday and Ghosh on Wednesday.
The ED is probing the alleged fund transfers in the multi crore irregularities in municipal appointments across the state. Last year Bose’s wife, son, and daughter had been summoned.
On October 10, 2025 multiple teams of ED had visited Bose’s Salt Lake office, a restaurant reportedly owned by his son, the residence of Nital Dutta — vice-chairman of South Dum Dum Municipality and a close aide of Bose — and the houses of a chartered accountant and an auditor at Nagerbazar and Kankurgachi. The searches, the agency said, led to the recovery of several “incriminating documents”. “ED, Kolkata Zonal Office, has conducted a search operation at 13 places on 10.10.2025 in and around Kolkata in the Municipality Recruitment Scam of West Bengal. The premises covered during the search include the office of Sujit Bose, MLA & Minister of Fire & Emergency Services, West Bengal, and that of his firms, among others. During the searches, various incriminating documents, including property documents, digital devices, and unexplained cash amounting to ₹45 lakh have been seized,” the agency said in a release.
According to sources, the investigation started based on the findings in 2023 suggesting that Ayan Sil — who is allegedly involved in the recruitment scam for government-aided schools — reportedly played a role in recruiting approximately 5,000 candidates to permanent posts in about 60 municipalities across the state.
There are 123 municipalities and seven municipal corporations in Bengal. Several civic bodies in and around Calcutta, which include South Dum Dum, Kamarhati, Panihati, North Dum Dum, and Baranagar municipalities, as well as a few in north Bengal, are under the scanner.