One of the sites that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided on Wednesday night, February 8, 2023, in Kolkata. The ED has seized Rs one crore in cash and detained a businessman after searches in connection with the coal scam probe. , Photo Credit: PTI
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has seized ₹1.4 crore in cash from the premises of a company in Kolkata and identified a person who was “handling illegal cash of a minister” arising out of coal smuggling. .
A press statement issued by the agency said that on Wednesday the raid was conducted at the office of Gajraj Group at Earl Street, Kolkata.
The ED statement said, “A specific intelligence was received that a highly influential political person through his close confidante Manjeet Singh Grewal alias Jitti Bhai was trying to launder the proceeds of crime of coal smuggling.” Had been.”
According to the agency, ₹1.4 crore was “unaccounted” money out of the total cash payment of ₹9 crore for Salasar Guest House at a ‘low cost’.
The cash seizure by the ED turned into a political issue in West Bengal and the BJP and the Left parties used it to target the Trinamool Congress. BJP leader Shubhendu Adhikari alleged that Manjit Singh Grewal, named in the ED’s press statement, has Trinamool Congress links.
“Manjeet Singh Grewal @jitta; Those who handled the Bhabanipur bypoll campaign of @MamataOfficial have been named in @dir_ed’s press release. He can be seen with the CM and his politician brother Karthik Banerjee. Will CM clarify that like Partha Chatterjee she will also take action against him? Mr Adhikari tweeted. He shared photographs of Mr Grewal with Trinamool leaders.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said that cash is being deposited with Trinamool leaders across the state and everything will come out with proper investigation.
The Trinamool Congress leadership rejected the allegations and accused the ED of trying to target the party. “There are many BJP leaders from whose premises ED can seize huge amount of cash but ED is targeting West Bengal. If cash has been seized, investigation can be done but what does Trinamool have to do with it,” said minister Firhad Hakim.
The coal smuggling scam involves fraudulent diversion of coal from coal reserves in leasehold areas under the jurisdiction of Eastern Coalfields Limited and also from coal stocks standing in railway sidings for sale and supply. Both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have questioned Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the scam, though the MP has not been named in the charge sheet filed by the agencies.