Kolkata, March 16 – The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at approximately 10 locations across West Bengal on Monday as part of its investigation into the operations of an alleged illegal call center, an official of the central agency said.
According to the official, the searches were conducted at premises in Siliguri, Howrah, Bidhannagar, and Durgapur. The investigation is focused on the activities of the illegal call center. However, it was not clear whether the investigation is linked to any political funding or the electoral process in the state, which is heading for elections.
According to information, individuals identified as Surashree Kar, Samrat Ghosh, and Subhajit Chakraborty, among others, are being searched. According to the official, several individuals are alleged to have been cheated through the illegal call centers, which are under the scrutiny of the central investigation agency.
During the search operations, ED officials examined digital devices, financial records, and other related documents to trace the funds generated through the suspected call center scam. The agency is also trying to identify the individuals running the operation and the channels used to transfer the proceeds of the crime.
This development came a day after the Election Commission announced the Assembly elections in West Bengal.
On Sunday, the Election Commission (ECI) announced a two-phase polling schedule for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections – April 23 and April 29 – even as the fate of over 42 lakh voters, who have been classified under the "logical discrepancy" category and referred for judicial adjudication, remains uncertain.
According to figures from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, the total number of electors in the state was 7,66,37,529 before the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls was announced in November last year.
However, when the final voters’ list – excluding those referred for judicial adjudication – was published on February 28, the number of electors came down to 6,44,52,609.