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Bengal law minister Moloy Ghatak raided by CBI, grilled in coal smuggling case
Bengal law minister Moloy Ghatak was grilled for an unspecific time at his official residence in central Kolkata about evidence that allegedly links him to the coal smuggling case
KOLKATA: West Bengal law minister Moloy Ghatak was grilled by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at his official residence on Wednesday even as other teams of the federal agency carried out searches at eight premises linked to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader in connection with the coal smuggling case, people familiar with the matter said.
ED also issued a fresh order summoning Ghatak to its Delhi office on September 14 in a related money laundering case. He has skipped many summons in the recent past but was questioned by ED for nine hours in September 2021. Ghatak, however, said he hadn’t received any summon yet.
A CBI officer said the minister was present at his official residence in central Kolkata’s Dalhousie area and was questioned about evidence that allegedly links him to the coal smuggling case registered by CBI in November 2020.
Ghatak later told reporters that the CBI action was designed to tarnish my image.
“The CBI didn’t summon me. Suddenly in the morning they came to search my house. This is nothing but to tarnish my image. I am the law minister and there are important files in my house. They went through all files,” Ghatak later said.
It is alleged that the illegally mined coal, worth thousands of crores of rupees, was sold by a racket operating in the western parts of West Bengal, where Eastern Coalfields Limited runs several mines. It is alleged that proceeds from the racket also went to political leaders.
Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and his wife Rujira were earlier questioned by ED in the same case. Eight Indian Police Service (IPS) officers posted in West Bengal were also recently summoned by ED in this context.
Ghatak, a TMC legislator from Asansol North known for its coal mines, is responsible for the state’s law and public works departments. He is known for his organizational prowess and is considered influential in party circles
CBI officers said simultaneous searches were carried out at Ghatak’s ancestral house in Asansol, Bengal’s largest city after Kolkata, and his two other houses in the city. Other CBI teams turned up at his house in south Kolkata. His chartered accountant’s house at Alipore in south Kolkata was also searched.
“CBI came and searched the house. We have cooperated. We asked them to show documents like the search warrant and FIR. They told us they will show it later, but didn’t,” said Abhijit Ghatak, the minister’s brother, a lawyer, said.
PTI said the agency also conducted searches at a building in Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district.
Ghatak insisted that not all the premises being linked to him weren’t his.
“The house in Asansol where they first went is our ancestral property. The place where I was questioned in Kolkata is a government accommodation. The house in Lake Gardens was sold at least three years ago. The other house in Asansol has been purchased with a bank loan,” said Ghatak.
