Hours after the Bengal Crime Investigation Department raided 13 locations allegedly belonging to the relatives and former colleagues of a retired IPS officer, she has cried “victimsation,” and threatened legal action, sources close to her said.
The former senior cop involved in anti-Maoist operation and also often charged by her critics with “anti-Marxist operation" —in West Midnapore had once been Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s pet person in khaki: so much so that the officer even addressed Banerjee as Maa (mother).
“The raids were a clear instance of State prejudice and intended to settle score,” the officer’s advocate said adding she would contemplate legal action after returning to Kolkata.
In a drastic clampdown intended at erasing even faint foot-prints of the said officer — allegedly close to BJP leader Mukul Roy — in West Midnapore district where she was posted till her retirement the CID raided her houses and those belonging to other subaltern policemen. The administration also “closed” some junior cops including some officers in-charge equivalent to station house officers.
The former officer is considered close to former Railway Minister and current senior BJP leader Mukul Roy and had allegedly played an important role in ensuring “free and fare elections” in Sabang Assembly by-elections conducted late last year when the BJP scored hugely in TMC-dominated wards.
While DIG, CID Parvez claimed the police were not in the know of the titles of the residences raided he confirmed during the raids “about 20 property deeds, two kgs of gold, 14 mobile phones Rs 60 lakh in cash and three laptops were seized.” Apart from this some external hard discs were also confiscated the top officer said adding further actions would be taken only after examining the contents of the materials seized.
While sources close to the retired officer said the house belonged to her husband a chartered accountant and a builder the CID refused to acknowledge such reports. “We did not know whose house it was. We only had conducted the raids based on certain information,” the DIG said.
The former senior cop retired close on the heels of the Sabang by-election when she was transferred to an inconsequential post apparently as a mark of punishment. The political brass considered the “punishment -posting” as a retaliatory act by the State Government for her alleged proximity with Mukul Roy a former number two in the Trinamool Congress.
The CID sources said that a gold merchant at Midnapore had lodged complaints of extortion against a number of senior police officers. He said that these officers exchanged their cash with gold from his shop after demonetization but did not pay amount equivalent to the gold. He was shooed away whenever he went to remind them of the dues.