ED conducts searches in former KoPT chief’s residence

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted raids at eight different places in the city including the residence of the former chairman of the Kolkata Port Trust RPS Kahlon in connection with the bribery case.

The Special Task Force of the city police had arrested Kahlon from a five-star hotel at Esplanade on alleged charges of taking bribe. Subsequently, Kahlon came under the scanner of the ED and the central investigating agency had initiated a probe against him into the alleged transfer of crores of rupees abroad.

It may be mentioned that the ED had received intelligence input about the transfer of money and took up the case to ascertain the source of money that has been transferred abroad.

On Thursday the raids were conducted at the residence of Kahlon. At the same time, other teams of ED officers conducted raids in the house and offices of a city based businessman.

According to a senior ED officer, the businessman, whose name has not been disclosed for the sake of investigation, had helped to send the money outside the country. Besides searching the businessman’s house at Salt Lake, raids were being conducted at offices of the companies he owns as well as the business organisations where he had made an investment. The offices are located at places including Tagore Street, Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Middleton Street.

The office of another businessman in Mumbai was searched by the ED officers in similar connection.

Sources said that the ED officers had seized many documents from the residences and offices during the raid.

It is also learnt that Kahlon was in his residence when his house was being searched and he had to give answers to some questions those were put forward by the ED officials while continuing the search operations. “It was not a formal interrogation, but usually during the raids the officers keep asking questions if the person is available,” said a senior ED officer.