Kolkata: At 9:30 am on Sunday, a team of six Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials, accompanied by central forces, made an entry into the residence of West Bengal municipal minister and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim. Barricades were swiftly erected around the premises, completely restricting outsider access. At the time of publication, raids are being carried out by the investigating agency.
Simultaneously, the CBI has been conducting a raid at the residence of senior Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra. Mitra is the MLA from Kamarhati. The Kamarhati municipality, among others, is currently under investigation for alleged corrupt practices.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently conducted a search at food minister Rathin Ghosh’s residence in another corruption case.
During the examination of the office of arrested agent Ayan Sil, who is allegedly linked to corruption in school teacher recruitment, the CBI claimed to have uncovered substantial information related to broader recruitment irregularities. Following the orders of Calcutta high court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, a formal FIR has been lodged, and an official investigation has been launched into this incident.
This extensive probe encompasses various corruption allegations, including illicit recruitment within various municipalities and teacher appointments, and illegal activities such as cattle, coal and sand smuggling. The opposition in the state alleges that these actions took place under the TMC regime.
The CBI’s investigation into Hakim’s involvement was reportedly based on intelligence provided by the ED, which is actively investigating the corruption in the the Urban Development Department and had already conducted raid on the properties of senior office bearers multiple municipalities.
Hakim, a prominent figure in the TMC cabinet and a key leader of the party, has a been in charge of the Department of Public Works and Urban Development for a long time.
Earlier this year, Calcutta high court’s Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty and Justice Parthasarathy Chattopadhyay highlighted the corruption in municipalities and school teacher recruitment. This landmark judgment, delivered on June 15, significantly altered the trajectory of the entire recruitment corruption case.
Irregularities in recruitment has been a burning issue in West Bengal. Former urban development minister of West Bengal and CPI(M) leader Ashok Bhattacharya pointed out that the Municipal Service Commission was originally established during the left administration to ensure transparency in municipality recruitment. He expressed concerns that current practices deviate from this purpose and called for greater oversight of the appointment process and involving government officials in decision making.
In a separate incident, the CBI is currently conducting searches at 21 different sites in Alipurduar, following allegations in connection with the Alipurduar Cooperative Bank.
Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.