Days after he was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax Department on Friday conducted searches at five places linked to Trinamool Congress candidate Debasish Kumar, including his house and two party offices in Kolkata, over alleged income and tax discrepancies.
According to I-T department sources, searches began simultaneously around 5.30 am at three locations — Kumar’s house, a nearby party office located 250 metres away, and another office on Motilal Nehru Road, which is also being used by TMC candidate Sovan Deb Chatterjee for election purposes.
The I-T department later in the day extended its raid to the residence of Kumar’s in-laws and one more place.
The I-T officers, accompanied by the central security forces, are continuing the raids at Kumar’s house, according to the latest reports. Local TMC workers staged a protest when the raids began in the morning.
Additionally, his supporters held a dharna outside his house, with some placards reading, “I am also Debasish Kumar.”
“This is harassment of our leader. Why the sudden raid now, just to harass our dada?” protesters said.
In simultaneous searches, I-T officials raided the Elgin Road residence of Miraj Shah in south Kolkata. Shah, a chartered accountant by profession, is also a director of a Bhabanipur educational institution. He was among the four individuals from different faiths who proposed the TMC supremo’s name in the poll nomination.
Around the same time, I-T teams also raided the Kalighat residence of TMC leader Kumar Saha, a close aide of Debashis Kumar.
Earlier, the ED had summoned Kumar — a member of the Mayor’s Council of Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the outgoing MLA of the Rashbehari constituency — twice in connection with a land-grabbing case.
According to ED sources, the agency has recently conducted raids at the houses of a businessman named Amit Gangopadhyay, who owned a firm, and his other partners, and recovered several documents and also phone chats, where pictures and information of several disputed pieces of land were sent to Kumar.
According to ED sources, the company has been accused of grabbing land under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and carrying out construction projects with the help of the KMC.
The ED is questioning Kumar to find out if he had any association with the businessman and his partners, as it was found that illegal construction activities were carried out in Kumar’s area. It is also investigating whether Kumar had any link with the sale of the disputed properties and if there had been any financial transactions.