Trinamool MLA Who Defected From BJP Under Probe Agency Scanner: Sources

A Trinamool Congress MLA's food and edible oil company has received notice from the Enforcement Directorate over suspicious financial transactions between his company and two Kolkata-based channels, sources have said.

The dust is barely settled on crores of cash recovered from the actor-Instagrammer aide of suspended Trinamool minister Partha Chatterjee, when another party MLA, Krishna Kalyani, is expected to be summoned by the central probe agency anytime now.

Mr Kalyani was with the BJP before defecting to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party. He was appointed chairman of the Trinamool's public accounts committee.

Mr Kalyani, who owns Kalyani Solvex Pvt Ltd, a food manufacturing firm set up in 2002, contested the 2021 assembly election on a BJP ticket, but defected to the Trinamool without resigning from the assembly.

Enforcement Directorate sources said the MLA's company's financial transactions with two Kolkata-based channels are under the scanner for alleged money laundering.

The Trinamool has distanced itself from the arrested minister after crores of rupees were recovered from the homes of his aide, Arpita Mukherjee.

Mr Chatterjee, once close to Ms Banerjee but now an embarrassment for her, was yesterday sacked as a minister and removed from all posts in the Trinamool as evidence of corruption stacked up against him.

He is accused of taking bribes for the recruitment of teachers and staff in state-run schools in 2016, when he was Education Minister.