Raids are being conducted at six places, five in Kolkata and one in Asansol.
Raids are being conducted at six places, five in Kolkata and one in Asansol.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday searched the residence of West Bengal Law Minister Moloy Ghatak and half a dozen properties in connection with the probe. coal theft scam, Teams of CBI officers conducted searches at the minister’s residence in Asansol in West Bardhaman district of the state and near Alipore, Lake Garden and Raj Bhavan in Kolkata. According to the probe agency, searches were conducted after the minister failed to appear before the agency despite several summonses.
“I have been called as a witness and I have cooperated in the investigation,” Mr Ghatak told reporters in the evening. The minister said that his phone was confiscated by the authorities and investigators found Rs 14,000 from his residence, which he did not put on the seizure list. Responding to questions from journalists as to why he was being called, the minister said, “there is only an attempt to defame”. Mr Ghatak also said that as the Law Minister of the state, there were several confidential documents at his residence, which were seen by the CBI.
Shri Ghatak, MLA from Asansol North, is an influential leader of Trinamool Congress (TMC). Central investigative agencies started investigation coal theft scam in November 2020. The scam involves fraudulent misappropriation of coal from coal reserves of leasehold areas under the dominance of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) and from stock of coal parked in railway sidings for sale and supply. The ECL coal mines, from where coal theft is alleged to have taken place, are located in and around Asansol in Kunustoria and Kajora areas. The CBI had filed a chargesheet in July 2022 against 41 people in the scam, including public servants of ECL and former youth leader of TMC Vinay Mishra. Mr. Mishra is absconding and agencies have issued a look out notice against him.
Along with the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also investigating the coal scam. The ED and the CBI have also questioned TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in connection with the scam. On September 2, 2022, Mr Banerjee was questioned by the ED for over six hours in connection with the scam in Kolkata. The TMC leadership on Wednesday hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah and accused him of “propagating against those opposing his incompetent government”.
“Meet #IndiasBiggestPappuAmitShah! Armed with his trusted dock media and @dir_ed and CBI puppets, he jumps with joy. A Home Minister has no concern for the citizens or the nation, he spends his day campaigning against those who oppose his inept government,” TMC tweeted from its official handle. Mr Banerjee and the TMC have launched a fresh attack against the Home Minister after 2 September.
Anubrata’s bail rejected
In another development, a court in Asansol rejected the bail plea of TMC leader Anubrata Mondal in connection with the cross-border cattle smuggling scam. Birbhum’s TMC District President Shri Mandal has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days. The TMC leader was arrested by the CBI on August 11 in connection with the cross-border cattle smuggling scam.
Before Mandal’s arrest, the ED had arrested former minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee in the School Service Commission recruitment scam. Cash worth ₹50 crore was seized from the property of the former minister’s aide.