ED freezes TMC bank deposits worth Rs 440 crore in Kolkata

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate issued orders to freeze the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC)'s bank deposits worth Rs 440 crore in Kolkata. The order came under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Wednesday.The action follows an ongoing money laundering probe into financial transactions linked to the TMC's bank accounts. The agency alleged that over Rs 150 crore was routed through a network of aviation, travel and allied service companies, and is examining whether funds used for chartered flights during the party's 2024 Lok Sabha campaign were layered through multiple entities to conceal their source.The probe began after a complaint filed in June alleged that proceeds of a major cyber fraud had been transferred into certain TMC bank accounts. Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR and froze debit transactions from three party accounts before the ED joined the investigation under the PMLA. Investigators are examining at least 18 TMC bank accounts, along with transactions involving firms such as Carewell Travels, Windborne Aviation and Anita Tours.As part of the investigation, the ED on Tuesday searched 5 locations in Kolkata, including the offices of Carewell Travels, an electoral trust and a chartered accountant, seizing documents and electronic devices. The agency is also looking into the acquisition of aircraft by Carewell Aviation between 2023 and 2026 and whether those purchases were linked to the suspected financial transactions.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.