Hours after the Enforcement Directorate investigating the multi-crore coal smuggling case raided the premises of a South Kolkata businessman and seized Rs 1.4 crore and some incriminating documents. Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday demanded Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's clarifications as the said businessman had handled her campaign during the 2021 Bhabanipore Assembly by-elections.
After Wednesday's day-long raid at the premises of Gajraj group of companies the ED on Thursday issued a statement in which it claimed that the businessman had dealings with a Trinamool Congress minister.
The Agency further said that the seized cash was part of Rs 9 crore --- in black --- that had changed hands for purchasing a guest house at up market Ballygunge area of South Kolkata. The ED got the wind of it when the property --- worth Rs 12 crore --- was registered at Alipore registry office for an under-valued price of Rs 3 crore.
The ED officials later claimed that the raid and search operations were conducted following a "specific intelligence input that a highly influential political person was making an attempt to launder the proceeds of crime originating from coal smuggling, through his close confidant Manjit Singh Grewal aka Jitti Bhai."
According to sources Grewal who runs a famous restaurant is the TMC's chief of Hindi Cell in South Kolkata. Jitti Bhai was currently at large, sources said.
"The market value of this property is more than Rs 12 crore, however the deed value of the same is shown at around Rs 3 crore. This money was part of the agreed differential amount to be paid in cash from the proceeds generated from coal smuggling," ED said.
According to the ED officials the registry of the said property was done at an undervalued price and the cash was being handed over at the office of Vikram Sikaria of Gajraj Group. Sikaria was subsequently detained for further questioning.
"Preliminary analysis of material on record suggests a greater nexus and it appears that this person was also involved in handling illegal cash of a minister," ED said.
