New Delhi, Feb 3 (.) The Enforcement Directorate raids are on in West Bengal related to alleged illegal mining and transportation of coal. Raids are underway at around 10 premises across West Bengal and Delhi.
Among those covered in the searches is Bengal Police Officer-in-Charge Manoranjan Mondal. Others under the scanner include Kiran Khan, Sekh Akhtar, Prabir Datta and Mirza Hesamuddin Baig. According to official sources, ED teams accompanied by central armed forces began simultaneous searches early Tuesday morning, around 6.30 am, at multiple locations including Kolkata, Asansol, Durgapur, Panagarh, Pandabeswar and parts of Paschim Bardhaman district, besides select premises in Delhi.
One of the key locations searched was the Asansol residence of Manoranjan Mondal, recently appointed as the OC of Budbud police station. Mondal is yet to formally take charge. He was suspended last year during his posting at Barabani police station following corruption allegations and was later attached to the Asansol Police Special Branch. His recent reinstatement has now drawn fresh scrutiny after the ED action.
The probe agency also carried out searches at the homes and offices of several sand and coal traders. In Durgapur’s Sepco area, ED teams raided the residence of Prabir Datta, owner of K.K. Minerals, along with the house of his brother Amit Datta. The firm is engaged in sand mining operations across Bankura, Paschim Bardhaman and Purba Bardhaman districts, with offices located in Panagarh.
Searches were also conducted at the residences of sand trader Sheikh Hasim Mirza Beg in Panagarh, Sheikh Kiran Mandal in Andul’s Bhaktarnagar area, and coal trader Sheikh Maizul in Pandabeswar, among others. Officials clarified that the current investigation is linked to illegal sand and coal trade and is separate from another coal scam case being probed by the ED, under which the agency had searched the Kolkata office of political consultancy firm I-PAC last month.
. ATK PPP .