The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday questioned sitting Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Debasish Kumar, who’s contesting from south Kolkata’s high-profile Rashbehari meeting seat, on Friday in reference to a case linked to alleged land offers within the metropolis, an official from the federal company mentioned, requesting anonymity.
Kumar, who’s pitted towards Bharatiya Janata Occasion’s Swapan Dasgupta, was questioned by ED on Monday as properly. On Friday, he declined to remark.
“I mentioned on Monday that I can’t utter a phrase. The celebration will remark,” he advised reporters after being questioned for 5 hours.
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ED has additionally summoned TMC ministers, Sujit Bose, who’s contesting from the Bidhannagar seat, and Rathin Ghosh, who has been fielded from Madhyamgram, for questioning on April 6 and eight, respectively, in reference to alleged corruption in appointments by a number of district civic our bodies.
In 2023, the Calcutta Excessive Courtroom ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe allegations that varied civic our bodies recruited 1,500 folks between 2014 and 2018 in alternate for cash.
Elections to the three constituencies the place Kumar, Bose and Ghosh are contesting, will probably be held on April 29.
A fourth TMC candidate, Manab Kumar Parua from East Midnapore district’s Bhagabanpur seat, which matches to polls within the first section, appeared earlier than the Nationwide Investigation Company (NIA) on Thursday in reference to a 2022 bomb explosion case.
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“They mentioned I will probably be summoned once more. I’ll cooperate,” mentioned Parua, who was named within the 2024 supplementary chargesheet. The NIA was ordered to probe the explosion, which claimed the lives of three TMC employees, on orders of the Calcutta excessive courtroom in 2023.
Mamata reacts in anger
Chief minister and TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee reacted to the summons whereas addressing an election rally in North Dinajpur district on Friday afternoon.
“Elections are across the nook and the businesses have began summoning one TMC candidate after one other. What have been you doing all these years? Had been you sleeping? Aren’t you ashamed of your self?” Banerjee mentioned.
TMC state normal secretary Kunal Ghosh mentioned it was a part of the BJP’s “outdated ways to make use of federal businesses for electoral leverage.”
Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson Debjit Sarkar claimed the summons weren’t linked to elections. “We can not say that summoning an individual in reference to an ongoing investigation is a violation of the Structure. The ruling celebration ought to ask these inquiries to the judges who ordered the probes,” he mentioned.
