The Enforcement Directorate carried out raids at the residence of West Bengal Food and Supplies Minister and TMC leader Rathin Ghosh. According to the news agency ANI, more than 12 premises linked to Ghosh were covered in the state, including North 24 Parganas district and Kolkata.
The raids were carried out in connection with its investigation into the alleged irregularities in the recruitments done by the civic bodies in the state, officials said, the news agency PTI reported, citing officials. Along with a large contingent of central forces, the investigators reached Ghosh's residence in Michaelnagar in North 24 Parganas district around 6.10 am, they said.
Simultaneously, the investigators began searches at 12 other places in connection with the case, they added. It was not immediately known if Ghosh was at his house when the searches began. Ghosh, the TMC MLA of Madhyamgram, was earlier an office-bearer of the Madhyamgram Municipality.
According to PTI, the ED has alleged that around 1,500 people were illegally recruited by different civic bodies in the state, between 2014 and 2018, against monetary considerations.
In another incident, Income Tax officials on Thursday carried out searches at multiple locations in Chennai linked to DMK MP S Jagathrakshakan, the news agency PTI reported, citing police sources. The searches were being held at many places, including some educational institutions, sources said without divulging details. Jagathrakshakan represents Arakkonam in the Lok Sabha.
DMK leader TKS Elangovan reacted to the raids on party MP S Jagathrakshakan and said that it was a political vendetta. He slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party and said that the saffron party is a barbaric class of people, and these people do not respect the Constitution or any law.
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