Kolkata, July 28 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday issued a notice to West Bengal minister in charge of the state micro, small and medium enterprises and textiles department, Chandranath Sinha, for questioning in the multi-crore cash-for-school-job case in the state.
Sources aware of the development said that Sinha had been asked to be present at the ED’s office at the central government office (CGO) Complex at Salt Lake in the northern outskirts of Kolkata on July 31
On that day, Sinha, had been asked to be present at the ED’s office with his bank accounts and property details. However, Sinha had refrained from making any comments to the media persons over the notice from the ED.
This is the second time that ED has summoned Sinha in connection with the school-job case in West Bengal. Earlier, in September last year, he arrived at ED’s office in Salt Lake and faced questioning in the matter.
The ED officials first secured the name of the minister from the diary of the middleman and now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader Kuntal Ghosh, who was later arrested by the central agency officials. In fact in March last year, the ED officials conducted raid and search operations at the minister’s residence at Bolpur in Birbhum district.
After the raid and search operations, the ED officials seized cash of Rs 41 lakh and a mobile phone from his residence.
Sinha is known to be close to Trinamool Congress strongman and the former district president of the party in Birbhum, Anubrata Mondal.
Earlier in March last year, Sinha was also summoned by the ED for questioning in connection with the multi-crore cattle-smuggling case in West Bengal.
–IANS
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