CBI Raids in West Bengal Today, Probe Widens Amid Political Row
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has ramped up its operations in West Bengal, conducting simultaneous raids at multiple locations in the state in connection with alleged corruption and financial irregularities, media reports and officials confirmed on Thursday.
According to preliminary information, CBI teams searched residential and office premises in several districts of West Bengal, including Kolkata, as part of an ongoing probe into alleged economic offences and recruitment irregularities. Agencies seized documents, electronic devices and other material believed relevant to the investigation, though full details of the haul are still being verified.
ED carried out raids earlier this month on I-PAC
The latest CBI actions follow a broader escalation of central probe activity in the state after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids earlier this month on political consultancy group I-PAC’s offices and the residence of its CEO in Kolkata. The ED’s search, linked to a coal smuggling money-laundering case, became the centre of controversy when state leaders alleged interference and political targeting.
In a significant legal update today, the Calcutta High Court dismissed a petition by the ruling party challenging the ED’s search operations, effectively backing the legal basis for the central probe in the I-PAC matter. The court noted that no documents or data were formally seized during the earlier search, as stated by the ED during proceedings.
The matter is now poised to be taken up in the Supreme Court, where a hearing has been scheduled after the central agency moved the top court seeking broader oversight and investigation authority.
The raids and subsequent legal developments have triggered strong reactions across the political spectrum. The state’s ruling party described the probe agencies’ actions as politically motivated and an abuse of central power, accusing them of disrupting state affairs and electoral processes. Opposition leaders, however, welcomed the heightened scrutiny, arguing that transparency and accountability in governance are paramount and that the investigations must proceed unhindered.
The current series of raids form part of a broader pattern of investigations by the CBI and ED into alleged irregularities in West Bengal over the past few years. These have included probes into school service recruitment scams, financial misappropriations, and alleged misuse of public office — cases that have repeatedly brought the state government into conflict with federal investigative agencies.
As the situation evolves, authorities have reiterated that the CBI’s actions are aimed at collecting evidence and enforcing compliance with the law, while political leaders insist on defending the state’s autonomy.
By ANASUYA ROY