Rashtrapati Bhavan orders probe into BJP's Jagannath Chattopadhyay over benami assets, wealth allegations

Newly appointed Bengal BJP state general secretary Jagannath Chattopadhyay is facing allegations of possessing assets disproportionate to his known income and conducting benami transactions. A complaint was filed by Uday Singh, who had previously submitted similar complaints to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The complaint claims that Chattopadhyay is involved in economic irregularities and has accumulated undisclosed properties through proxies.

The matter reached the Rashtrapati Bhavan after no reported progress from the central agencies. According to sources, the President's Secretariat took cognizance of the issue and directed the West Bengal state secretariat, Nabanna, to conduct a detailed investigation. The instructions also included a directive to share the findings of the probe with the complainant. The order emphasizes a fact-based inquiry into the allegations of benami property and financial misconduct.

As of now, the state BJP has not issued any official statement regarding the allegations against Chattopadhyay. The Leader of the Opposition has stated that he has no knowledge of the matter. Internal sources within the party have acknowledged that the controversy comes at a time when the new state unit has just been formed and organizational restructuring is underway.