K D Singh arrest triggers war of words in poll-bound Bengal

The arrest of former TMC MP K DSingh in a money laundering case triggered a fresh verbal duelin the poll-bound West Bengal Wednesday with the BJP demandingquestioning of top brass of the Trinamool Congress in thecase, while the ruling party denying any association withSingh for long.The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Singh in a moneylaundering case, official sources said on Wednesday.They said Singh has been placed under arrest undersections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA.The opposition BJP in West Bengal demanded the top brassof the TMC leaders should be questioned in this connection.Who is K D Singh

The arrest of former TMC MP K DSingh in a money laundering case triggered a fresh verbal duelin the poll-bound West Bengal Wednesday with the BJP demandingquestioning of top brass of the Trinamool Congress in thecase, while the ruling party denying any association withSingh for long.

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Singh in a moneylaundering case, official sources said on Wednesday.

They said Singh has been placed under arrest undersections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The opposition BJP in West Bengal demanded the top brassof the TMC leaders should be questioned in this connection.

''Who is K D Singh? His identity is that he is a former MPfrom the TMC. So the best thing would be to question the TMCleaders to bring out the truth,'' state BJP vice presidentJaiprakash Majumdar said.

Speaking on the issue, his party colleague SuvenduAdhikari, who had recently switched over to the BJP, claimedSingh's dealings with the TMC leaders should be probed.

Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said the TMC can'tdeny its involvement with Singh as their leaders had used hisplane during election campaign.

The TMC leadership, however, denied any association withSingh for the last few years.

''He has not been associated with us for a long time. Forthe last few years, we have no relation with him. If he hascommitted any wrong then the law will take its course. We havenothing to say regarding it,'' TMC MP Sougata Roy said.

He, however, described the demand for questioning of theTMC leaders as ''baseless and politically motivated''.

The central probe agency had carried out searches at thepremises K D Singh and those linked with him in September 2019in connection with two PMLA cases.

Singh has been the chairman of the Alchemist group andwhile he resigned from the post in 2012, he is stated to bethe Chairman, Emeritus and founder of the business group.

The ED is probing him as part of two money launderingcases.