ED Raids Kolkata Aviation Firm in ₹160 Crore Trinamool Congress Money Laundering Probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) searched multiple locations in Kolkata, including the premises of an aviation company, as part of an investigation into the alleged laundering of ₹160 crore in funds from the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The agency is probing the routing of party funds through bank accounts and a specific aircraft deal, according to reports from The Times of India and The Wire.

ED Investigation into TMC Fund Routing

The Enforcement Directorate’s operation targeted several sites across Kolkata to trace the movement of ₹160 crore linked to the Trinamool Congress. According to The Wire and Telegraph India, the agency is specifically examining bank accounts and financial transactions that it suspects were used to divert party funds. The raids are part of a broader effort to identify how the money was moved and whether it was laundered through third-party entities.

Aviation Firm and Aircraft Deal Scrutiny

A central component of the probe involves an aviation company. The Times of India reports that the ED is investigating a deal involving aircraft, alleging that the firm received ₹160 crore from the TMC. This specific transaction is being scrutinized to determine if the purchase or lease of aircraft served as a vehicle for money laundering. The Deccan Chronicle confirmed that the agency launched these raids across Bengal to uncover the full scale of the funds’ movement.

Scope of the Enforcement Directorate Raids

The agency’s actions involved simultaneous searches at multiple locations to secure financial documents and digital evidence. According to the National Herald and Telegraph India, the focus remains on the “suspect” funds held in various bank accounts. The ED is seeking to establish a paper trail that connects the Trinamool Congress’s party coffers to the aviation firm and any subsequent transfers of those assets.

The Enforcement Directorate has not yet released a formal statement detailing the specific individuals under investigation or the exact nature of the evidence seized during the searches.