ED joins probe on money trail

NIA raids house, but to no avail

After the National Investigation Agency, the Enforcement Directorate has launched its probe separately into the Burdwan blast.

Its entry into the investigation assumes significance as the trail of huge amount of terror funds through Hawala network from across the border and several properties by the blast accused came to light during the ongoing NIA probe. On Monday morning, a three- member ED team led by an assistant director travelled to the district from their office at CGO Complex in Salt Lake and visited the police station.

Next, the ED officers met superintendent of police ( Burdwan) S. M. H. Meerza at his office and collected some case- related documents. Later they inspected the blast site in Khagragarh and took images and did a videography after holding a discussion with the NIA officers. The ED also inspected another terror hideout, a two- storeyed building of Rezaul Karim at Baburbag in the district from where the National Security Guard commandos and NIA officers recovered over 30 bombs

Burdwan recently.

“Being an independent organisation, the ED is empowered to conduct an inquiry on suo motu basis,” ED special director ( eastern region) Yogesh Gupta said, adding that the agency was targeting the source of funds for bombs.

According to the NIA, the absconding couple Yousuf Sheikh and Ayesha Bibi, prime accused behind the terror module, had many bank accounts at the Nigan branch of a PSU bank in the district.

But what confused them was that the branch has 48 accounts of different male customers with the name of Yousuf.

— PTI Investors and agents of Tower InfoTech Limited, a chit fund company, wait to submit the documents as per notification of Sebi to get back their money back at the district magistrate’s office in Birbhum on Monday.