Kolkata/Ranchi:The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday raided a dozen locations in West Bengal and Jharkhand as part of a money laundering probe into the alleged use of forged papers for the sale of defence land in these states, officials said. The federal agency is searching about eight locations in Ranchi and adjoining areas, and multiple places in Kolkata including the premises linked to arrested businessman Amit Agarwal.
Some real estate dealers, private persons and linked entities are being searched by ED teams, they said. An ED official said employees working under Agarwal were also being questioned. "At Agarwal's office in Nonapukur in the southern part of Kolkata, two close associates of the businessperson were questioned for over an hour to find out if he has any other property in West Bengal apart from the places that we have raided," he said.
The official said that searches were also underway at the office of another businessperson, who is closely associated with Agarwal, in the posh Salt Lake area. "We started conducting raids from 6.40 am today. Searches are still underway. Our detectives are questioning employees of Agarwal inside his office. Some of our officers are looking for clues at Agarwal's apartment and his high-end vehicle," he told PTI.