The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday morning raided 12 places, including the residence of Mamata Banerjee government minister Firhad Hakim and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Madan Mitra. Hakim, Minister of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, is also the Mayor of Kolkata. He is a senior leader of Trinamool Congress and has considerable influence in the party organization.

The action was taken in connection with the investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitments done by municipal bodies in West Bengal. Central investigating agencies allege that between 2014 and 2018, various municipal bodies in the state had illegally appointed around 1,500 people in exchange for money.

According to officials, a team of CBI officers along with a large contingent of central forces reached Hakim's residence in Chetla area of south Kolkata. As soon as the search began, Hakim's supporters gathered outside his residence and started protesting.

A CBI team also searched the residence of former minister and MLA from Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas district Mitra in Bhawanipur area of North 24 Parganas district. Mitra's residence is about three kilometers away from Hakim's residence in Chetla. After being interrogated, Firhad Hakim said that I am not a thief. I have refused to bow down to BJP. So that agencies are being used to harass me.

Kolkata, Kanchrapara, Barrackpore, Halisahar, Dumdum, North Dumdum, Krishnanagar, Taki, Kamarhati, Chetla, Bhawanipur and other places.

Both Hakim and Mitra were arrested by the CBI in 2021 in the Narada sting operation case. Mitra was also arrested by CBI in 2014 in the Saradha chit fund scam case. Earlier on Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had searched several places including the residence of Food and Supplies Minister Rathin Ghosh in connection with the investigation into the case.