The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday conducted seaches at half-a-dozen properties and the residence of West Bengal Law Minister Moloy Ghatak in connection with the investigation in the coal pilferage scam. Teams of CBI officials conducted searches at the Minister’s residence at Asansol in the State's Paschim Bardhaman district, and in Kolkata at Alipore, Lake Gardens, and near Raj Bhavan. According to the investigation agency, the search was carried out after the Minister failed to appear before the agency despite summons being issued to him several times.
“I have been summoned as a witness and I have cooperated with the investigation,” Mr. Ghatak told journalists later in the evening. The Minister said that his phone had been seized by officials and investigators found ₹14,000 from his residence, which they did not put on the seizure list. Responding to questions by journalists on why he was being summoned, the Minister said, “only attempt is to malign”. Mr. Ghatak also added that as the State’s Law Minister, there were a number of classified documents at his residence which the CBI went through.
An MLA from Asansol Uttar, Mr. Ghatak is an influential Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader. The Central investigating agencies started an investigation into the coal pilferage scam in November 2020. The scam involves fraudulently misappropriating coal from the coal reserve of leasehold areas under the dominion of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), and also from coal stock parked in Railway sidings for sale and supply. The ECL coal mines from where the coal is alleged to have been stolen are located in Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol. The CBI had in July 2022 filed a charge-sheet against 41 persons in the scam, which includes public servants of ECL and a former youth leader of the TMC, Vinay Mishra. Mr. Mishra is absconding and agencies have issued a look out notice against him.
