Kolkata, 17 April (H.S.) : Central agencies have intensified action in West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections, with the Income Tax Department on Friday conducting raids and search operations in an alleged illegal land grabbing and money laundering case.

A team of Income Tax officials, accompanied by heavy security personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces, began searches at the Kalighat residence of local Trinamool Congress leader Kumar Saha. The area is located close to the official residence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Kumar Saha is considered a close aide of Banerjee and was also one of the proposers for her nomination as an Assembly candidate.

According to sources, the action is linked to the same case in which another Income Tax team is conducting searches at the residence and election office of senior TMC MLA and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor-in-Council member Debasish Kumar.

In the same matter, the Enforcement Directorate has also carried out raids at the offices of a real estate company and at the residence of a chartered accountant in Kolkata and nearby areas.

Following the raids, Trinamool Congress workers gathered outside the residences of Kumar Saha and Debasish Kumar and staged protests. Demonstrators alleged that the BJP-led Central government was misusing central agencies to harass TMC leaders ahead of the Assembly polls.

Though Kumar Saha does not hold any elected post, he is regarded as an influential organisational leader within the party. Coming from a business background, he is known for managing crowd mobilisation at major party events in Kolkata.

Meanwhile, Debasish Kumar has once again been fielded by the Trinamool Congress from his traditional Rashbehari Assembly constituency.

Investigating agencies have alleged that the syndicate prepared forged and fake documents to illegally occupy several land parcels, including public land, and later launched major real estate projects for commercial gain.

Earlier, on April 1, more than Rs 1 crore in cash was recovered from the residence of a company official in the Behala area. In a separate raid in Kasba, unlicensed firearms were also reportedly recovered from a businessman’s residence.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh