ED Conducts Searches at Carewell Group Premises in Kolkata
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out searches at multiple locations across Kolkata in connection with alleged financial irregularities involving the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The searches targeted the Carewell Group, which operates in the aviation sector, focusing on suspected unlawful collection and routing of funds through TMC bank accounts.
According to ED sources, approximately Rs 160 crore was transferred from TMC accounts to M/s Carewell Aviation India Pvt Ltd and its related entities between April 2023 and June 2026. The agency conducted searches at five premises of the Carewell Group as part of the investigation.
Funds Routed to Related Entities and Aircraft Purchases
The probe revealed that M/s Carewell Aviation Pvt Ltd further routed an amount of Rs 82.96 crore between 2023 and 2026 to another newly incorporated related entity. Additionally, a significant portion of the funds, around Rs 112 crore, was reportedly used to purchase an Embraer Legacy 600 aircraft and an Augusta 109 SP helicopter.
ED sources indicated that some foreign funding was also utilized for the purchase of the Agusta helicopter, but the majority of the funds were sourced directly from TMC accounts.
Rental Arrangement Under Scrutiny
The investigation found that the Embraer Legacy 600 aircraft and Agusta helicopter were rented out to the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) itself, even though they were purchased using the party's own corpus. Subsequently, substantial amounts were reportedly transferred to the aviation firm on the pretext of aircraft usage.
An ED official stated, "The entire arrangement appears highly doubtful and seems designed to camouflage the actual beneficial purpose of the transactions, which is presently under investigation."
Investigation Ongoing
The ED is continuing its probe into the financial dealings, focusing on the routing of funds and the legitimacy of the transactions. The searches are part of a broader investigation into alleged financial misconduct by the TMC and related entities.
