ED summons chartered accountant linked to TMC leaders

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned seven IPS officers of West Bengal and a senior Kolkata-based chartered accountant who looks after the accounts of senior party leaders of the Trinamool Congress. While the IPS officers are scheduled to reach Delhi to be interrogated by the ED for money laundering, financial professional Prateek Diwan has missed his appearance before the enforcement agency on July 5.

The officers include two additional director general-rank officers who are known to be close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and were controversial in recent times. The others are deputy inspector general-rank officers and superintendent-rank officers of the West Bengal police.

They were called in connection with the ongoing probe into the coal smuggling case conducted jointly by the CBI and the ED. While the CBI is looking into the crime, the enforcement agency is focusing on the money laundering aspect, said an ED official.

The officers have been asked to appear with documents on different dates from July 26 to August 6.

Separately, ED summons to renowned chartered accountant Prateek Diwan, who handles accounts of senior TMC leaders, in a money-laundering probe has drawn attention. Diwan was summoned last year, too, but according to the ED, he did not appear before the enforcement agency. The ED is investigating the trail of money allegedly received by many TMC leaders, and what these were used for. 

Diwan could not be contacted for a response, but an ED document, dated June 29, said assistant director S. P. Jain issued a summons to Diwan. “I consider the attendance of Prateek Diwan necessary in connection with the said investigation," Jain has said in the notice. The summons was based on sub-section 2 and sub-section 3 of the money laundering act. While sub-section 3 deals with the attachment of the property illegally accessed, sub-section 2 deals with the culpable part for assisting in the crime.

“Diwan needs to be interrogated to uncover the money trail. He was asked to come with all relevant documents on July 5," an officer said on condition of anonymity. 

As the Narada investigation created a huge controversy last month, with two key ministers of Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet being held by the CBI, the summons of the IPS officers, as well as the chartered accountant, are raising eyebrows.

Meanwhile, CBI director Rakesh Asthana, who is due to retire on July 31, is on a two-day trip to Bengal on Sunday and Monday. Asthana went to North Bengal and met a top Army commander of the 33 corps of the Indian army. He was accompanied by Pankaj Kumar Singh, special director general of the BSF’s eastern command. The visit assumes significance as the BSF has been assisting the CBI in the coal smuggling case, which is also being investigated by the ED.

While three senior officers of the BSF were arrested in the case, CBI sources say that top police officers have also been involved in the case.