West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using central agencies to harass him following a recent interrogation and search conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at multiple locations across the state. The CBI’s actions are part of an ongoing probe into alleged irregularities in recruitments made by civic bodies in West Bengal.
Firhad Hakim currently holds the portfolio of urban development and municipal affairs in the Mamata Banerjee-led government of West Bengal and also serves as the Mayor of Kolkata.
A CBI team, accompanied by a substantial contingent of central forces, arrived at Firhad Hakim’s residence in the Chetla area of south Kolkata in the morning to conduct the search and questioning. According to PTI, a CBI officer stated, “We questioned him whether he had knowledge about irregularities in the recruitment process. Some documents were seized during the operation.”
The CBI also conducted searches at the residence of Madan Mitra, a former West Bengal minister and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) representing Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas district, in the Bhowanipore area. The official claimed that investigations had revealed Mitra’s specific role in the recruitments made by Kamarhati Municipality.
In addition to Hakim and Mitra, the CBI also searched the residences of several other individuals, including Sudama Roy (former chairman of Kanchrapara Municipality), Angshuman Roy (ex-chairman of Halisahar Municipality), and Ashim Ghosh (former chief of Krishnanagar Municipality).
A CBI spokesperson confirmed that the agency conducted searches at approximately 12 locations across various areas, including Kolkata and its suburbs, as part of an ongoing investigation into the case.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) criticized the CBI’s actions, labeling them as a desperate attempt to divert attention from the TMC’s ongoing demonstration outside the Raj Bhavan, where they are demanding central funds.
In response to the TMC’s accusations, BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya questioned why the TMC appeared apprehensive about the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI investigations if they had nothing to hide. Bhattacharya asserted that the TMC often cries foul and alleges political motivation when its leaders are summoned by these agencies, despite facing numerous corruption allegations.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) also alleged large-scale corruption in the recruitments conducted by civic bodies and stated that central agencies had intervened because the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had failed to address the issue.
It’s worth noting that both Firhad Hakim and Madan Mitra had been arrested by the CBI in 2021 in connection with the Narada sting operation case. Additionally, Madan Mitra had also been arrested by the CBI in 2014 in the Saradha chit fund scam. The current CBI investigation adds to the ongoing political and legal challenges in West Bengal.
