Kolkata, May 13 (IANS). The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday requested the office of the Director of Security, West Bengal government, to ensure the appearance of absconding Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas before the ED for questioning. Biswas’s name has come up in two money laundering cases.
Besides, ED has also sought details of Biswas’s service record till date.
Let us tell you that the central agency had issued several notices to Biswas asking him to appear for questioning at the ED office in Salt Lake. Biswas is considered very close to former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
However, Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Biswas repeatedly avoided appearing at the ED office. Even his family members and close associates could not reveal anything about his whereabouts.
Finally on May 5, the day after the results of the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, the ED issued a lookout notice against Biswas. The agency feared that he might try to flee the country after the election defeat of Trinamool Congress.
The central agency has recently expanded the scope of investigation into a major money laundering case involving a network of shell companies and several people in West Bengal. In this connection, ED also conducted a raid and search operation at Biswas’s house.
Recently ED officials had arrested Kolkata businessman Joy Kamdar in this case. Investigation revealed Kamdar’s close relations with Biswas.
It is alleged that Kamdar tried to gain influence in the police department by giving expensive gifts and facilities to several police officers and their families, including Biswas.
It is also alleged that this influence was used to file fake complaints against people in disputes related to expensive properties.
When Biswas’s house was searched last month, he was not present there. Even after this, despite several summons being sent, he did not appear before the ED for questioning.
Almost all the parties in the state have been accusing Biswas for a long time that he used to work like an agent of Trinamool Congress in uniform.
–IANS
AMT/DKP