Kolkata, Feb 9 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday issued a notice for interrogation to Monoranjan Hazra, the officer-incharge under Budbud Police Station, which comes under the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate (ADPC), in connection with the multi-crore coal smuggling case in West Bengal.
Earlier this month, the ED officials also conducted a raid and search operation at Hazra’s residence in connection with the coal smuggling case, and during those operations, the Investigating Official of the central agency also seized crucial documents relating to the case.
Sources aware of the developments said that on examination of documents seized from Hazra’s residence, the ED officials came across several crucial clues about the coal-smuggling case, which prompted them to issue a notice for interrogation to the state police officer in the matter.
At the same time, sources added, the ED, on Monday, had also sent notice for interrogation to Chinmay Mondal, one of the close associates of Anup Maji a.k.a. Lala, who is considered one of the principal masterminds in the coal-smuggling racket.
The action on the part of the ED officials in relation to the coal-smuggling case had intensified during the last couple of months.
Last month, there was a controversy over the ED’s parallel raid and search operations at the office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) at Salt Lake on the northern outskirts of Kolkata and I-PAC’s co-founder Pratik Jain’s residence at Loudon Street in central Kolkata.
During the parallel raid operations, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accompanied by top bureaucrats and police officials of the state, stormed in at both places and left with papers and electronic documents. The matter is being heard at the Supreme Court currently.
Last month, ED’s Director Rahul Navin also came to Kolkata and sought details of the progress of the investigations into the high-profile financial irregularities cases in the state, including the one on coal smuggling.
Last month, the ED officials also conducted raids and search operations at the offices and residences of coal traders operating from the coal-belt in the West Burdwan districts, like Asansol and Jamuria.
At that point in time, the ED officials also seized Rs 1.50 crore from the residence of a coal trader at Jamuria.
--IANS
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