I-T raids premises linked to TMC MLA and Mamata proposer ahead of polls

The Income Tax Department conducted raids at premises linked to TMC MLA Debashis Kumar and Miraj Shah in Kolkata ahead of Assembly polls. The TMC termed the action politically motivated, while officials said it was part of a probe into unaccounted money

Kolkata: The Income Tax Department on Friday conducted searches at multiple locations in the city, including the residence of TMC MLA Debashis Kumar, who is contesting from Rasbehari Assembly seat, and Miraj Shah, a proposer of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s candidature from Bhabanipur constituency.

The TMC alleged that the raids, conducted days before voting on April 23 and 29, were intended to “harass and intimidate” the ruling party in West Bengal.

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Different groups of Income Tax officials started searches at the residence, the election office and several other properties linked to Kumar around 6 am, and the raids are continuing, an I-T official said. In simultaneous searches, the premises of Miraj Shah were searched at his Elgin Road residence in south Kolkata.

Shah is known to be associated with a local educational institution and was among the four individuals from different faiths who proposed the TMC supremo’s name in the poll nomination.

Debashis Kumar’s close aide, TMC leader Kumar Saha’s residence at Kalighat was also raided by the I-T around the same time.

The raids were part of a wider operation to unearth unaccounted and unaudited money flow in the run-up to the Assembly polls, covering several locations across the city, the official said.

Kumar had recently been summoned multiple times by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a land fraud case. He was called for questioning at the CGO Complex in Salt Lake on April 1, 3 and 9, and had appeared before the agency.

The ED aimed to determine whether Kumar had any financial transactions with a businessman whose property was recently searched by the central agency, officials said.

Deploring the raids, senior TMC leader Jaiprakash Majumdar said, “The vindictive nature of the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah regime stands exposed by the raids targeting the TMC and even prominent figures who are not directly associated with the TMC.” “Before elections, central agencies have become hyperactive in West Bengal and are working under the sole agenda to harass and intimidate TMC. They (BJP) will again be rejected by the people of Bengal in the polls,” he said.

Polling in both Rasbehari and Bhabanipur constituencies will be held in the second phase of the Assembly elections on April 29, with counting scheduled on May 4.

The searches triggered tension outside Kumar’s residence, with TMC workers raising slogans against the BJP-led government at the Centre.

Central forces personnel were deployed at every spot to handle the situation, officials said.