ED raids at SJDA scam accused IAS officer's residence

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday carried out a search operation at the residence here of Bengal IAS officer Godala Kiran Kumar, allegedly involved in the nearly Rs 200 crore Siliguri-Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) scam, an official said.

The 2005 batch Indian Administrative Service officer, who was earlier arrested on graft charges in connection with the scam, is now out on bail.

"A search operation has been conducted at Kiran Kumar's residence," said an official from the investigating agency's regional office here.

At the time of the arrest, the IAS officer, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, was serving as the Joint Secretary of West Bengal's Agriculture Department.

After being accused of graft charges, the state government had sent him on compulsory waiting. Later, he was reinstated as the Joint Secretary of state Planning, Statistics and Monitoring Department.