Kolkata: In yet another crackdown on alleged land grabbing, the state govt commission appointed to probe institutional corruption on Friday conducted a raid at a prominent roadside eatery along E M Bypass over allegations of illegal wetland-filling and canal encroachment.Accompanied by a heavy contingent of Kolkata Police, commission members raided the dhaba — which is reportedly linked to a Trinamool Congress (TMC) municipal representative — and inspected the surrounding commercial precinct. The anti-corruption team also carried out a parallel investigation at an adjacent bakery to inspect structural plans and land boundary demarcations.The investigative action stems from a formal complaint lodged in Aug last year by Manojkumar Barman, who alleged that the eatery was constructed by systematically filling the ecologically sensitive wetlands. Acting on the complaint, the commission launched a probe into allegations that a natural drainage canal was unlawfully filled in to clear space for the commercial establishment.“The inquiry was initiated following a specific petition regarding wetland filling along EM Bypass. During Friday’s joint operation, we inspected the premises, examined physical boundaries, and initiated a thorough review of the surrounding land parcels,” confirmed an official associated with the probe.Police and commission officials revealed that preliminary findings point to irregularities, including the alleged tampering and falsification of land records to reclassify waterbodies as commercial property. Investigators estimate that approximately four cottahs of prime wetland were illegally encroached upon to pave the way for the unauthorised construction.The involvement of a former local corporator, aligned with Trinamool Congress, has drawn heightened scrutiny, with officials probing whether local administrative clout was leveraged to bypass environmental clearances and falsify land mutation certificates.Commission officials stated that land revenue documents, municipal sanction plans, and historical satellite imagery of the EM Bypass site are currently being cross-referenced to establish the timeline of the encroachment. Further recording of statements, collection of interrogations and legal action under statutory environmental and anti-corruption acts are expected as the investigation progresses.
