ED Conducts Searches in Kolkata, North 24 Parganas in Rs 160-Crore Scam
Times of India | 22 July 2026
Kolkata: ED on Tuesday conducted searches at eight locations in Kolkata and North 24 Parganas in connection with a Rs 160-crore money-laundering case. According to official sources, as many as 19,000 people were lured with Bengal govt’s social welfare scheme benefits to pay high sums to several organisations operated by a syndicate.
In North 24 Parganas’ Bongaon, the ED team searched four sites, one of them being the residence of key suspect Abhijit Biswas. Biswas was not at home.
ED, which recently registered an ECIR in the case, started the probe based on an FIR lodged by Bengal Police. The FIR states that from 2014 to 2020, the money was collected through various organisations, promising people social scheme benefits. ED officers have reason to believe that a large syndicate was responsible for the scam. Greater benefits were promised against higher payments.