Kolkata, May 13, 2026
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday urged the office of the Director of Security of the West Bengal government to ensure Kolkata Police’s absconding Deputy Commissioner, Santanu Sinha Biswas, appears before it for questioning in connection with two cases of money laundering where his name had been linked.
The ED, at the same time, sought details of Biswas’s service records so far.
Incidentally, the central agency had served a number of notices to Biswas, known as an extremely close confidante of the previous West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, asking him to be present at the ED’s Salt Lake office to face questioning in the two money laundering-related cases.
However, the Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police avoided appearing at the ED’s office repeatedly, and his family members and close associates could not say anything about his whereabouts.
Finally, on May 5, the day after the results of the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections were announced, the ED issued a lookout notice against Biswas in anticipation that he might try to escape from the country in the midst of the landslide poll defeat of the Trinamool Congress.
The central agency recently expanded its investigation into a high-profile money laundering case involving a sophisticated network of individuals and shell companies in West Bengal and conducted raids and search operations at the residence of Biswas in relation to the case.
Recently, the ED officials arrested Kolkata-based businessman Joy Kamdar in connection with the laundering case, and the investigation revealed his close links with Biswas.
It is alleged that Kamdar provided expensive gifts and favours to several police officers, including Biswas and their families, to gain influence within the police department.
This influence was allegedly misused to file fraudulent complaints against individuals, particularly in disputes involving high-value immovable properties.
While the residential premises of Biswas were searched last month, the police officer was not present during the process and subsequently did not appear before the ED’s investigation official for questioning despite multiple summons.
Biswas had long been accused by nearly all the opposition parties in the state, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of acting as an agent of the previous ruling Trinamool in uniform.
There had been several instances where Biswas was spotted in police programmes addressing Mamata Banerjee as “Mother” and telling fellow police officers about the necessity of serving the former Chief Minister’s interests.(Agency)
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