Kolkata, 02 July (H.S.): A day after the Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police arrested former Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation councillor Debraj Chakraborty, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday registered a case against him in connection with alleged disproportionate assets, financial irregularities and other offences. Chakraborty is the husband of former MLA Aditi Munshi.

According to ED sources, the investigation will not be confined to Chakraborty's financial transactions alone but will also examine the role of influential individuals allegedly associated with him. The central agency is also expected to probe allegations of extortion and other charges linked to the case.

Sources in the ED said preparations for the investigation had been underway for some time. Investigators had been scrutinising Chakraborty's alleged assets and the sources of his income, amid questions over how he accumulated substantial wealth during his tenure as a municipal councillor. The agency suspects a significant mismatch between his declared income and his actual assets.

A few weeks ago, Debraj Chakraborty and his wife Aditi Munshi had approached the Calcutta High Court seeking anticipatory bail. While the court granted relief to Munshi, Chakraborty's plea was rejected.

The investigation has also revealed that Chakraborty allegedly declared assets in his election affidavit that were significantly lower than his actual holdings. Following verification of these details, the ED has initiated a probe into suspected money laundering and assets disproportionate to known sources of income. If required, the agency may seek his custody from the West Bengal Police for further interrogation.

Preliminary findings further suggest that Chakraborty's influence extended beyond the jurisdiction of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation. Investigators are examining his alleged role in supervising and coordinating several government projects across different parts of North 24 Parganas district, particularly in the Basirhat subdivision. The ED is now probing the financial transactions linked to these projects and his possible connections with them.

According to ED sources, Chakraborty rose to prominence within senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee's inner circle after 2011 and was later entrusted with several organisational and administrative responsibilities. However, these claims are based on information gathered during the investigation and have not yet been independently verified or officially confirmed.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh