The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Tuesday launched coordinated raids at five locations across Kolkata to investigate the source of massive financial transactions involving the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) bank accounts and the funding of party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s chartered flight rentals. Separate ED teams began search operations early in the morning in Central Avenue, Rajarhat-New Town, and adjacent areas.

Among the premises searched were the office and residence of a prominent businessman known to be close to Abhishek Banerjee. According to sources, the funds used to rent chartered flights for Banerjee were allegedly channelled through this businessman’s firm, Carewell Aviation.

According to ED sources, the agency is tracing the financial routing of suspicious funds flowing through TMC’s official bank accounts. Preliminary investigations indicate that a sum exceeding Rs 150 crore was allegedly routed through multiple aviation and travel companies for questionable purposes.

The probe stems from a complaint by TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, who alleged that the exorbitant rent for these chartered flights was financed through “cut-money” (extortion commissions) and protection rackets. The ongoing raids are aimed at verifying these allegations and scrutinising the exact banking trail behind the expenditure.

The agency’s crackdown coincides with an internal legal battle over control of the party’s finances following a recent split within the Trinamool Congress. After shifting political camps, the party’s former treasurer, Aroop Biswas, formally requested that banks freeze TMC’s accounts, leading to an ongoing legal battle in the Calcutta High Court.

The high court has repeatedly denied requests from the ‘Kalighat Trinamool’ faction for an urgent hearing on the matter, including a fresh refusal on Tuesday.