More names crop up on illegal property list

Kolkata: An expanding probe into alleged illegal assets in West Bengal has brought a string of properties linked to individuals with alleged Trinamool Congress affiliations under scrutiny. On Monday, CM Suvendu Adhikari alleged that Beleghata-based promoter Raju Naskar owned 18 properties, land shark Biswajit Poddar, better known as Sona Pappu, held 24 properties, and Faiz Ahmed Khan, son of MLA Khan, possessed 90 properties. According to a civic official, the listed assets are now under the scanner as part of a wider investigation into suspected irregularities in property ownership and accumulation. The scrutiny is expected to examine the source of funds, ownership patterns and possible violations linked to land and real estate transactions. The allegations have added a fresh dimension to the ongoing political confrontation in the state, with the property trail emerging as a key element in the illegal assets probe. KMC sources revealed that besides giving notices to properties owned or co-owned by Abhishek Banerjee or his family, the civic body's buildings wing has also started sending notices to Naskar, Sona Pappu or Faiz Ahmed Khan. "We have started sending notices to the trio based on a list sent to us by the assessment department. Each and every property is under scanner," said a KMC official.An official said that while the properties owned by Khan are mostly located in areas like the Tiljala-Topsia-Picnic Garden belt, the Tangra-Park Circus belt and some areas located off EM Bypass, Sona Pappu has his properties concentrated in the Ballygunge-Gariahat-Golpark belt. The majority of Naskar's properties have been traced from the Beleghata-Maniktala belt and close to EM Bypass. "We have traced several properties of the trio based on our record in the assessment department. We will send notices to all of these properties and ask the owners to appear before the special hearing officer at the civic headquarters," said the civic official. The KMC assessment department, on the other hand, will look into the property tax evasion of these properties. "We will check whether these owners owe us property tax. We will send notices to them asking them to pay the tax dues," said a KMC official.