ED raids Kolkata DCP's house in money laundering case
What's the story
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday raided the residence of Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas. The raid was conducted at his Fern Road home in Ballygunge, starting at 7:00am. This operation is part of an investigation into the Sona Pappu syndicate case in South Kolkata's Ballygunge area. Biswas is the Officer-in-Charge of Kalighat police station under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur Assembly constituency.
Additional raid
ED also raided residence of businessman Joy Kamdar
Apart from Biswas's home, the ED also raided the residence of businessman Joy Kamdar in Behala. Kamdar is said to be involved in real estate development and has been summoned for questioning by the agency multiple times, but he has skipped both appearances. The agency recovered cash from his house during this raid.
Key suspect
Earlier raids yielded significant contraband
The ED's investigation is centered on Biswajit Podder alias Sona Pappu, a wanted accused in several serious offenses, including attempted murder and extortion. The agency had earlier conducted searches on April 1, seizing cash worth ₹1.47 crore along with gold jewelry and silver worth ₹67.64 lakh from one of the premises associated with Podder. A country-made revolver was also recovered during these earlier raids.
Ongoing investigation
Investigations ongoing as syndicate links are traced
The ED's investigation is still underway as they try to trace financial links and other people associated with the syndicate. Summons have been issued to Podder, but he remains absconding. The agency's actions are under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and are linked to a case involving a wanted accused with multiple serious charges. This comes just ahead of West Bengal's Assembly elections on April 23 and 29, with results due on May 4.