The CBI on Sunday conducted search operations at six locations in West Bengal, including residences of Trinamool Congress MLA Subodh Adhikari and his brother, in connection with its probe into a chit fund case, an official of the agency said. Sleuths of the central agency raided the residence and office of the Bijpur legislator and his brother Kamal Adhikari's flat simultaneously, the CBI official said.
Kamal Adhikari is the chairman of the Kanchrapara Municipality. The raids were conducted two days after the Central Bureau of Investigation had arrested Trinamool Congress leader Raju Sahani, who is the municipal chairman of Halisahar near Kolkata, in connection with a chit fund case related to Sunmarg Welfare Organisation. The probe agency had recovered Rs 80 lakh in cash, a country-made firearm and documents of properties worth Rs 2.75 crore from the residence of Sahani.
"During the day, the CBI officers carried out raids at four places of Halisahar and Kanchrapara in North 24 Parganas district, including the ancestral house of the Adhikari brothers and their current residences. The agency sleuths also raided house of the MLA's personal assistant in connection with a ponzi scam," the official said. The MLA's two residences in Lake Town and Paikpara areas in Kolkata were also raided by the central agency, he said.
Speaking to reporters, Kamal Adhikari admitted that Sahani is his friend and said he did not know about any financial transaction of the arrested TMC leader.
"I don't know about Sahani's monetary dealings or the chit fund company. There is a political conspiracy against me and my party. The raids did not yield anything. I am ready to cooperate with the investigation," he said. Responding to a pointed query about whether Sahani has helped him buy his flat, the Kanchrapara Municipality chairman claimed that he bought the apartment with his hard-earned money. Veteran Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Roy alleged that the BJP is using the central agency to target his party leaders and intimidate them after the saffron camp failed to defeat the TMC in the last assembly polls.
"We have faith in the judiciary. Those who are involved in the ponzi scam will be punished and the truth that the BJP is targeting TMC leaders as part of its political vendetta will come out," he said. BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said Roy is making such comments as the central agency has tightened the noose around "corrupt" TMC leaders.
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