More officers to join ED team in Kolkata by August end to ease pressure

In an effort to handle increasing pressure of investigation related to financial embezzlements in West Bengal, as many as 80 additional officers will join the Enforcement Directorate's Kolkata team

In an effort to handle increasing pressure of investigation related to financial embezzlements in West Bengal, especially the ones on the WBSSC recruitment irregularities and cattle smuggling, as many as 80 additional officers from other states will the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) Kolkata team by the month's end.

ED sources the additional officers coming to the state will be of two sorts.

While one batch will be those who are already associated with ED, the batch will be include officers specially deputed to the probe agency for Central departments like Income Tax, Central Excise and Customs.

"Our existing team at Kolkata is already burdened with the pressure of tracking the money trail in the WBSSC scam. Our next pressure will be tracking the money trail in the cattle smuggling scam. So, the existing strength will not be enough for tackling so much pressure. But once the fresh set of officers join us, we will be equipped enough to smoothly handle the two investigations," an ED official said.

The sources further said the new additions will also enable the agency to decentralize its operations instead of solely operating from the base at agency's Central Government Office (CGO) complex at Salt Lake.

With a full team available, like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the ED team in Kolkata will set up camp offices in the different districts, especially those considered as the epicentres of such financial embezzlements.

Some officers will operate from those camp offices, which will add to the speed of the investigation.

The new officers will have a mix of specialists.

"While some are interrogation experts, some officers are experts in studying the books of accounts and some will be experts in forensic audits. Remember in our nature of work, the most important thing is the capability to study figures embedded in the books of accounts and identify the loopholes," the ED official said.

--IANS

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