After poll result, ED changes gear, trouble seems headed TMC’s way

NEW DELHI: As it reels under the trauma of the poll debacle, more trouble seems headed TMC’s way with ED set to question party seniors Sujit Bose and Rathin Ghosh — both ministers in the outgoing Mamata govt — Wednesday in Kolkata in connection with its investigation into the municipality recruitment ‘scam’ case.

This will be the second round of questioning of Bose — fire minister defeated in his stronghold Bidhannagar — and Ghosh — food minister who won from Madhyamgram — who were directed by court to join the probe.



While CM Mamata Banerjee’s terms were marked by a string of alleged scams, the one related to recruitment to municipalities stands out because of the money trail, ED sources said, reaching precariously close to her nephew and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee — Mamata’s putative successor, widely referred to as the CM-inwaiting until BJP landslide buried Trinamool Congress’ ambition to prolong its stay. Multiple money laundering cases being probed by ED — including political consultancy firm I-PAC in the coal smuggling ‘scam’ — are set to return to Kolkata from Delhi.

Probes were stalled as ED officials were being “intimidated” in Kolkata and many accused refused to cooperate despite repeated summons. Sources said ED is also likely to resume questioning of the accused, including Abhishek, his wife Rujira, ex-DGP Rajeev Kumar, ex-Kolkata police commissioner Manoj Verma, then DCP Priyabrata Roy, besides I-PAC chief Pratik Jain, from whose premises Mamata, in the presence of her police brass, took away files seized by the agency during a Jan 8 search operation.

Rujira faces probe of alleged laundering of Rs 168 crore proceeds of crime from coal ‘scam’. ED earlier claimed part of this money was laundered abroad through hawala channels and deposited in bank accounts beneficially owned by her in Thailand and London. Besides the cases it is already investigating, Mamata’s defeat removes a big obstacle in launching new probes — refusal of the Bengal govt to register FIRs, denying ED the basis of a predicate offence.