ED Conduct Raids in Kolkata in Money Laundering Case Against IRS Officer

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted raids at a few locations here in connection with its money laundering probe against an IRS officer and others.

The searches were conducted at two premises, showroom and residence, of HM Dewan Jewellers and its promoters in connection with a criminal probe against Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Neeraj Singh, a commissioner in the Income Tax Department, they said.

The agency seized a number of "incriminating documents", including those related to the alleged illegal sale of gold, and travel and transport bills of five-star hotels, the official said.

Documents indicate that a number of transport arrangements were made for the accused by a company promoted by prime accused in the Rose Valley chitfund case, Gautam Kundu.

The ED is looking at links of Singh with his alleged associate Govind Agarwal and others. The searches are an effort to obtain more evidence with regard to routing of illegal monies and

further money laundering, the officials said.

Some documents related to benami ownership of two large hotels have also been seized during the raids, they added.

This is a case of black money and the raids were conducted as part of the government's action plan to crack down against corrupt officials, the officials said.

Singh was last posted in Chennai and has earlier worked in the investigation wing of the I-T department in Kolkata.

The federal probe agency had earlier raided six locations, two each in Kolkata, Mumbai and Patna, after it booked Singh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)

The ED filed its criminal case against the officer based on a Kolkata Police FIR "for accumulation of huge wealth in the name of his associates by giving undue favours by misusing his official position."

Officials had said Singh and his associates are also under the scanner of the Kolkata Police and the ED for alleged links with Kundu.

Kundu has been arrested by the ED in the Rose Valley case. The IRS officer has denied these charges in the past.