The CID has denied raiding Bharati’s Ghosh’s rented house in Naktala area of south Kolkata, despite police officers being spotted outside the property on Thursday. (Express Photo)
The CID, accompanied by local police, on Thursday raided the premises of several police officers, considered close to former West Midnapore SP Bharati Ghosh, as part of its probe into an extortion case. While sources said a house rented by Ghosh was among those raided, the CID has denied this, despite police officers being spotted outside the property the same day. A total of 12 premises, including three in Kolkata, were searched. Sources said the raids began Thursday night and were ongoing when this report was filed. Officers have recovered Rs 60 lakh, 2-kg gold and several deeds to land and properties.
This comes days after Ghosh prayed for voluntary retirement after she was transferred to a less significant post as commandant of the State Armed Police Third Battalion, Barrackpore. This, after she had served as the West Midnapore SP for five years. Police sources said a gold trader, Chandan Majhi, had registered a complaint with the CID on Thursday, accusing several senior police officers and officers-in-charge in West Midnapore district of extorting him.
In the complaint, the trader said that after demonetisation was introduced, a few officers had converted their money into gold through him, but had not paid him an amount equivalent to the gold he gave them. He also alleged that the officers had used their positions to suppress any complaints. After the complaint was filed, CID sources said officials arrested Bimal Ghorai for allegedly helping the accused to convert money to gold.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed screenshots of a message purportedly written by Ghosh, saying her house was raided and her husband was locked in a room, soon began doing the rounds on social media. The message further states that Ghosh, who is currently not in Kolkata, would take legal action after returning. The sender of the message could not be verified, however, and attempts to reach Ghosh went unanswered.
Ghosh, who was known to be close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had been transferred as West Midnapore SP on December 25 — a day after the Sabang bypoll results were announced. Though the Sabang seat was won by Trinamool Congress MP Manas Bhunia’s wife Gita Bhunia, sources said local party leaders were displeased by the rise in the BJP vote share, resulting in the transfer.
After Ghosh had tendered her resignation, it was speculated that she might join the BJP. However, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh had brushed aside the speculations.