Bengal recruitment scam: CBI searches TMC minister Firhad Hakim’s residence
- CBI searches West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim's residence in alleged irregularities in recruitments made by civic bodies: officials.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at the residences of senior West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim and TMC MLA Madan Mitra, in Kolkata on October 8 morning. This raid is part of an ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitments carried out by the state's civic bodies according to officials.
Firhad Hakim, who holds the position of Minister of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs and also serves as the Mayor of Kolkata, is a senior figure within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and wields significant influence within the party.
A team of CBI officers accompanied by a large contingent of central forces arrived at Hakim's residence in in south Kolkata's Chetla.
"Two CBI officers are questioning him," said senior official reported PTI.
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CBI also searched the residence of Madan Mitra, a former minister and the MLA of Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas district, in the Bhabanipur area, located about 3 kilometres from Hakim's home in Chetla. Mitra's residence is around 3 km from Hakim's residence in Chetla.
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In 2021, both Firhad Hakim and Madan Mitra they were arrested by the CBI in connection with the Narada sting operation case. Mitra had previously been arrested by the CBI in 2014 in relation to the Saradha chit fund scam.
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also conducted searches on October 5 including the residence of Food and Supplies Minister Rathin Ghosh in connection with the same recruitment case. The central investigating agencies suspect that around 1,500 individuals were illegitimately recruited by various civic bodies in the state between 2014 and 2018, allegedly involving monetary transactions.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Business NewsPoliticsNewsBengal recruitment scam: CBI searches TMC minister Firhad Hakim’s residence
First Published:8 Oct 2023, 09:46 AM IST
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