CBI Raids Bengal Law Minister Moloy Ghatak's Residences In Connection With Coal Smuggling Case

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday raided the residence of West Bengal Law minister Moloy Ghatak in connection with the alleged coal smuggling case.

As per reports, six CBI officers from Kolkata appeared at Ghatak's residence along with CRPF personnel and carried out raids at seven locations across the state, including Asansol and Kolkata.

The investigative agency also grilled the minister who was present at his official quarters near to Raj Bhavan in the city's Dalhousie area while the other team continued their searches at his Lake Gardens home.

"As his name has surfaced in the coal smuggling scam, we need to find out what was his role in it. We have evidence of Ghatak's involvement in the scam," PTI quoted a CBI officer as saying.

Additionally, during the raids, the mobile phones of the family members have also been seized and everyone made to sit together in a room.

Last month, Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee,  along with Ghatak and Abhishek's wife Rujira were also asked to appear before ED for inquiry.

Though Ghatak had earlier appeared for the inquiry before the ED at its Delhi office, however, he skipped successive summonses in connection with the multi-crore coal pilferage scam related to the Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in the state's Kunustoria and Kajora areas.

It is to be noted that, there are numerous cases pending against the members of the Trinamool Congress.

Previously, Partha Chatterjee and Anubrata Mondal were also detained in August by the ED and CBI in connection with the alleged smuggling of cattle and the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam.

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