CID searches ex-IPS officer’s home; seizes gold, cash from cop in Bengal

West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday searched the south Kolkata residence of Bharati Ghosh, an IPS officer who recently resigned, and the home of an inspector in West Midnapore district where the sleuths seized an unspecified quantity of cash and gold.

The CID was acting on a court order following a businessman’s complaint against Ghosh and inspector Pradip Rath, whom he accused of extorting a large amount of gold and cash.

Senior police officers in West Midnapore said the CID team recovered a huge quantity of cash and gold from the home of Rath, the officer in-charge of Belda police station.

Rath allegedly could not give a satisfactory reply when asked to declare the source of the valuables and money. District police officers said Rath won’t be assigned any duty and a case is registered against him.

Ghosh could not be contacted despite several attempts. She tendered her resignation on December 28 last year after she was transferred to Barrackpore in the North 24 Parganas as commandant of the third battalion of the state armed police.

In his complaint, businessman Chandan Maji of Daspur in West Midnapore alleged before a court that he was a victim of police extortion. The court directed the CID to investigate. “A case has been registered against Rath. The CID team knows the details about this case, ” said Alok Rajoria, SP, West Midnapore.

A gold merchant named Bimal Garai was arrested in connection with the case.

The CID team is keeping an eye on the movement of several policemen, said officers who didn’t want to be named.

MIDNAPORE: THE CID WAS ACTING ON A COURT ORDER POST A BUSINESSMAN’S COMPLAINT AGAINST FORMER IPS OFFICER BHARATI GHOSH AND INSPECTOR PRADIP RATH