ED raids several locations, visits wrong house

While conducting raids in connection with the alleged corruption in 100 days work scheme, went to a wrong address and allegedly harassed a businessman 

MP, 7 February 2024, Kolkata : Enforcement Directorate (ED), on Tuesday, while conducting raids in connection with the alleged corruption in 100 days work scheme, went to a wrong address and allegedly harassed a businessman who is the namesake of another businessman under the central agency radar. 

 The family members are mulling to move court against ED. Trinamool Congress has criticised the central agency by mentioning them as the ‘puppets’ of BJP. In their X handle, Trinamool Congress posted: “In their eagernessto carry out politically-motivated witch-hunts in Bengal, dir_ed mistakenly raided the wrong residence. 

 This is the laughable state of the ‘Independent’ Investigative Agencies that PM Modi glorified in his speech. 

They appear to be nothing more than puppets dancing to BJP4India’s political tune!” ED is investigating the case of alleged corruption relating to the misappropriation of funds under the MGNREGA scheme of the Centre. It is alleged that the money was siphoned off using fake job cards. 

On Tuesday, multiple ED teams conducted raids at Salt Lake, Hooghly, and Murshidabad. One team went to the house of a former Block Development Officer (BDO) of the Dhaniakhali, Sanchayan Paan. In Salt Lake, another team of ED officers conducted a raid at the house of an expelled member of Nawda Panchayat in Murshidabad, Rathin Dey. 

Sanchayan was the nodal officer of the 100 days work while he was posted in Dhaniakhali. Also, a raid was conducted at the house of a civil service officer at a government housing complex in Jhargram. 

 In Hooghly, ED was searching for a businessman Sandip Sadhukhan. Controversy cropped up when ED officials went to the house of a man identified as Sandip Sadhukhan at Moydadanga in Chinsurah who is the namesake of the person under the central agency radar. The ED officials even allegedly tried to compel Sandip to sign on a document. Later, ED officials were convinced and left the spot. 

Later, they went to the house of Sandip for whom they were looking. Meanwhile, Sandip of Chinsurah said: “ED officials harassed us. My father is suffering from a critical illness. The officials have ruined our social image. We are mulling to move court against them.