ED writes to bank seeking details of fictitious transactions of Rs 164 crore from one frozen account of Trinamool

Kolkata, July 18 (IANS) Alleged fictitious transactions to the tune of Rs 164 crore from one of the three frozen bank accounts of Trinamool Congress are currently under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The central agency had already given a letter to the authorities of the private sector commercial bank concerned where the account is held seeking details of such transactions valued at Rs 164 crore, sources aware of the development said.

Currently debit restrictions are imposed on a total of 15 bank accounts of Trinamool Congress. Out of these 15 bank accounts, debit instructions were imposed following the instructions of both the West Bengal Police and the ED, while the same restrictions were imposed on 12 other accounts following the instructions from only the state police.

While the total deposit amount in the three bank accounts where debit restrictions were imposed following instructions from both the state police and the ED is Rs 440 crore, the total deposits in all the 15 bank accounts combined is around Rs 1,000 crore.

While examining the details of the three bank accounts on which ED-instructed debit restrictions are enforced, sources said, the investigating officials of the central investigation agency came across fictitious transactions worth Rs 164 crore in one of these three bank accounts, whose details are yet to be accessed by the agency.

The series of debit restrictions on different instructions imposed on different bank accounts held by Trinamool Congress started last month following instructions from the West Bengal Police after two parallel developments.

The first was a letter from the party’s former treasurer and former West Bengal Sports and Power Minister Aroop Biswas to the bank authorities seeking a freeze on the three bank accounts over apprehensions that the funds could be misused.

Subsequently, MLAs belonging to the rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress Legislature Party, led by expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, approached the West Bengal Police with a similar request. They also alleged that the accounts could contain proceeds of corruption and extortion.

Taking note of the allegations and complaints, the state police first directed the bank to impose debit restrictions on the accounts. Later ED also directed the bank authorities to impose debit restrictions on these three bank accounts.

Last this month, debit restrictions were imposed on 12 other bank accounts of the Trinamool Congress following the instructions from the state police.

–IANS

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