CBI recovers cash from TMC legislator's residence

KOLKATA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has recovered cash from Trinamool Congress legislator Jafikul Islam's residence where the central agency sleuths started marathon search operations since Thursday morning in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-school-job case in West Bengal.

As per the latest information available over Rs 8 lakh has been recovered from the washroom of the MLA's residence. The central agency sleuths are now thoroughly searching the other rooms of the residence, specially the bedroom of the legislator in suspicion of the existence of huge cash there.

Already a couple of currency-counting machines have been taken within the residence for counting the notes recovered there. Sources said that the final recovery figure will only be known only after the raid and search operations as well as the counting of notes are concluded.

Besides cash, the CBI sleuths have recovered huge amounts of gold ornaments from the residence, the papers for purchase which could not be furnished by the family members of the legislator.

Jafikul Islam, an MLA from Domkal assembly constituency in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, is known to be associated with a number of private educational institutes on bachelor of education, diploma in education, engineering and pharmacy.

Islam was earlier also questioned by the CBI sleuths in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling case in West Bengal. He is the first time legislator and in the 2021 elections he got elected after defeating Anisur Rahman -- a six-time CPI(M) MLA from Domkal and former minister in the earlier Left Front regime.