Siliguri-Jalpaiguri Development Authority scam: ED raids IAS officer's home

MP | 6 April 2017 | Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a raid in the Salt lake residence of IAS officer Godala Kiran Kumar on Thursday. The raid has been conducted in connection with the Siliguri-Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) scam.

Kumar is at present posted as the Joint Secretary of Planning, Statistics and Monitoring Department. He was the CEO of SJDA when the scam took place.

The team comprising senior officers of the ED went to the house and carried out the search operation for a few hours. According to an official of the central investigating agency, they have seized some documents and they would be going through them that they claim are relevant with the alleged scam of Rs 200 crore.

Kumar, an IAS officer of 2005 batch, was earlier arrested on graft charges in connection with the scam and was granted bail. It was alleged that money for projects including setting up of electric crematoriums at Bagdogra, Maynaguri and Malbazar and for the installation of CCTV cameras in Siliguri was paid before its completion. The matter had come to light in 2013 and eight FIRs and several cases were lodged in this connection.