IT officer summoned in connection with 'multi-crore' money laundering case

Kolkata: A very senior officer of the Income Tax (I-T) department has been summoned by Kolkata Police for questioning in connection with a "multi-crore" money-laundering case.

The Income Tax officer, who is in the verge of retirement, was in-charge of key positions in the department in Bengal.

He has been summoned on November 27 in connection with the money laundering case that was lodged with Hare Street police station in 2017 and recently dubious accountant Govind Agarwal was also arrested in connection with the similar case.

Agarwal, who according to the investigators, had been allegedly handling the finances of several top brass of central agencies including vigilance officers and Income Tax department officers. Agarwal, who was arrested on Saturday, was granted interim bail on Tuesday on health issues. But, according to the sources, investigating officers now want to question the senior officers of the central agencies whose finances were being handled by Agarwal.

The investigating officers of the Kolkata Police have prepared a detailed questionare that they will be putting before the senior I-T officer. Though the police have become aware of the modus operandi behind the money laundering by setting up hundreds of shell companies, the investigating officers now want to get further details on the same from the officers of the central agencies who names have cropped up after going through the incriminating documents found by the police during raid at places of Agarwal in the city.

The police are also trying to get some more information in connection with Agarwal's access to the restricted sections of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. Sources said that he had at least 100 times entered the restricted area using the daily permit issued by the Air Intelligence Unit of the I-T department.