The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday morning conducted raids at the residences of West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose, TMC MLA Tapas Roy and former North Dumdum Municipality chairman Subodh Chakraborty in connection with its probe into the irregularities in recruitments in civic bodies.
Accompanied by central forces, ED officers conducted raids at two residences of Bose in the Lake Town area in North 24 Parganas district early Friday morning, he said.
The central agency officers also raided Tapas Roy’s BB Ganguly Street residence and Chakraborty’s residence in Birati, he said.
“We are conducting search operations at the residences of three TMC leaders in connection with the recruitments in civic bodies. We are also talking to the leaders,” the officer told PTI.
Police personnel from local police stations reached the respective places and cordoned off the entire area.
The ED officers initially faced resistance in entering Bose residence and after around 40 minutes they were allowed inside, the source said.
“We are carrying a search warrant and despite showing that we were initially not allowed to enter,” the officer said.
The central forces were seen equipped with extra protection gear like helmets, automatic guns, which an ED officer said, was done keeping in mind the assault on them last week during the raid at Sandeshkhali.
On January 5, three Enforcement Department (ED) officers were assaulted and their vehicles damaged allegedly by supporters of TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh when they tried to raid his residence at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district in connection with their probe into the ration distribution scam.