The Trinamool’s Rashbehari candidate Debasish Kumar was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on Monday in connection with its probe into an alleged scam involving land procurement for projects and the subsequent duping of investors.
Kumar, MLA from Rashbehari, is also the deputy chief whip in the Assembly and a member of Calcutta’s mayoral council, in charge of hawker rehabilitation, parks and gardens, and parking.
The questioning came within 48 hours of ED raids across multiple locations in Calcutta and the districts.
Kumar arrived at the ED’s office at the CGO Complex on Monday morning and was questioned in two sessions. “I will not comment on this case,” he told reporters outside.
Sources said officers probing the alleged fraud and money laundering, involving several hundred crores, wanted to question Kumar to understand his links with a south Calcutta businessman. ED officials said Kumar’s name surfaced during the probe into the businessman’s alleged involvement in the projects.
The agency initiated a case of alleged fraud and money laundering after receiving multiple complaints, officials said. An Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was registered on the basis of these complaints, many of them from investors in Bengal districts.
“The amount involved runs into several hundred crores. The questioning was part of the probe,” a senior ED official said, declining to share further details.
Kumar’s interrogation drew sharp reactions from the Trinamool, with senior leaders questioning the timing ahead of the polls. Kumar is contesting against BJP’s Swapan Dasgupta in Rashbehari, and both candidates have begun campaigning.
“The BJP’s desperation is showing. The party has engaged the ECI, ED and the CBI ahead of the polls. But what the BJP doesn’t realise is that mass support is with Mamata Banerjee and these moves will not yield any result,” said state Trinamool vice-president Jay Prakash Majumder.
Leaders from the BJP said it was unfair to link the party to the probe as it is being monitored by Calcutta High Court. “Trinamool leaders should move the court if they have any grievances. The BJP has nothing to do with this,” said state BJP leader Debajit Sarkar.