Kolkata, Aug 6 — After the new government came to power in West Bengal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has adopted a new strategy to expand cooperation with the state police.
For this purpose, ED officials recently held coordination meetings with the West Bengal Police’s Special Task Force (STF) and officers of Lalbazar, the Kolkata Police headquarters, a state police insider said on Thursday.
The insider said the ED held two separate meetings. During the previous government, it was difficult to obtain documents or information related to cases from the state police and Kolkata Police or to provide information to the central agency.
While the police can file an FIR based on a complaint, the ED cannot register a complaint directly. As per rules, the ED has to file an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) first, with an FIR filed later “if necessary”.
During the previous Trinamool Congress government, there were complaints of delays in registering FIRs. However, with the new government, it is believed the ED will not face such hurdles in obtaining information from Lalbazar Intelligence Department or the West Bengal STF in cases of financial corruption.
In this situation, ED officials held joint coordination meetings with the STF and Lalbazar Intelligence Department to speed up investigations into past financial corruption cases and ensure smooth exchange of information.
Recently, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) police station was set up in West Bengal. The NIA had planned to establish its own police station in Kolkata during the previous government.
Still, it was not implemented due to what was described as “non-cooperation” by the then Trinamool Congress government.
After the change of government, the first NIA police station in West Bengal was established.