Separate teams from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids across the city on Tuesday in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment in multiple municipal bodies across Bengal.
Two separate teams arrived at two different addresses on Hemchandra Naskar Road in Beleghata, accompanied by members of the central forces.
Sources said the house they first visited in Beleghata belonged to two brothers.
One of them has been in the business of constructing buildings for decades, while the other is a cloth merchant.
The duo recently ventured into the hospitality business and acquired hotels in Puri.
Senior officials of the central agency refused to comment on the day’s search and seizure operations.
“This is a part of an ongoing probe. It won’t be proper to comment on anything further,” said a senior official.
Sources said the trigger behind the probe was the ED’s finding in 2023 that Ayan Sil, allegedly involved in a recruitment scam in government-aided schools, was also allegedly behind recruiting close to 5,000 candidates to permanent posts in around 60 municipalities across the state.
There are 123 municipalities and seven municipal corporations across the state.
Under the scanner are several civic bodies, including South Dum Dum, Kamarhati, Panihati, North Dum Dum and Baranagar municipalities, as well as a few in north Bengal.
ED arrested Sil in March 2023 for his alleged involvement school job scam. He was later arrested for his alleged involvement in recruitment irregularities in municipalities as well.
While Calcutta High Court granted Sil bail in the irregularities in school appointment case, in March, it denied him bail in the other case.
“A part of the probe involves tracing the proceeds of crime from the recruitment scam and identifying whether it is allegedly parked with individuals,” said a source in the agency.
Senior officials in the state urban development department said the collective sanctioned strength in 123 municipalities and seven municipal corporations (excluding the Kolkata Municipal Corporation) is just over 79,000, and the current strength is around 39,000.
Before the 2018-19 financial year, recruitment in municipalities was done through agencies recommended by the Directorate of Local Bodies (DLB), officials added.
The agencies were chosen based on bids submitted by them after a tender was floated
“This system was later done away with. The West Bengal Municipal Service Commission was entrusted with the task of handling all recruitments in municipalities,” an official in the urban development department said.
Sil’s firm was allegedly involved in recruiting close to 5,000 candidates in around 60 municipalities, according to ED sources.