ED seizes Rs 3 crore from Kolkata businessman's house in lottery scam probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday seized approximately Rs 3 crore in cash from the residence of a businessman in Kolkata, as part of its ongoing investigation into a high-profile lottery scam.

The ED has been conducting search operations at multiple locations across West Bengal since Thursday in connection with the alleged scam, an official confirmed. During the raids, which were carried out in the southern part of Kolkata, a large sum of cash was recovered, although the counting process was still in progress.

A note-counting machine was brought to the businessman’s home on Kavi Bharati Sarani to assist in tallying the seized money. The ED also brought similar equipment to another location in Madhyamgram, in North 24 Parganas district, where searches have been underway since Thursday.

In Madhyamgram, the focus of the search was a building in Micheal Nagar, which was believed to serve as both an office and a warehouse for the alleged lottery operation. While several crucial documents were seized from the location, officials stated that the financial details of the operation were still being investigated, and they could not yet confirm the exact amount of money found there.

"The search is ongoing. We have seized several documents, but we cannot disclose the details of the money seized at this time," an ED official said.

The investigation into the lottery scam is part of a broader money laundering probe, with officials hinting that the scam may involve several influential individuals. According to the ED, lottery tickets were allegedly being printed and distributed from the same building in Madhyamgram.

The ED's recent actions follow a series of nationwide search operations in several states, including West Bengal, Sikkim, and Tamil Nadu. In Tamil Nadu, the agency had earlier attached assets worth over Rs 277 crore as part of the investigation into the same scam.