ED investigation into a Kolkata-based aviation company has found that the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress allegedly funded Rs 160 crore to buy a jet and helicopter. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been probing the financial dealings of the company, which was accused of receiving illegal funding from various sources, including shell companies linked to politicians and business associates of TMC leaders.

According to the ED findings, the Kolkata-based aviation company, which is not named in the investigation, received a total of Rs 160 crore from three shell companies in 2019. The funding was allegedly channelled through a network of shell companies and money laundering schemes to avoid detection by tax authorities.

The ED has now sought to attach properties worth over Rs 100 crore linked to the Kolkata-based aviation company, which is believed to be owned by a Trinamool Congress leader or his family member. The investigation also found that the company had received funding from several shell companies linked to TMC leaders and their associates.

The ED has been probing the financial dealings of various individuals and companies connected to the TMC since 2020, following allegations of corruption and money laundering in the party’s finances. Several senior TMC leaders have been questioned by the ED in connection with the probe.

The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made yet. However, the ED has already attached several properties linked to the accused individuals and companies, including a bungalow worth Rs 20 crore in Mumbai.

The Trinamool Congress has denied all allegations of wrongdoing, describing them as a “vendetta” by the ruling BJP-led NDA government against its leaders. Mamata Banerjee, the TMC chief, has said that she is not aware of any wrongdoing and that the ED’s probe is an attempt to discredit her.

The development comes ahead of the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, in which the Trinamool Congress is a strong contender. The party has been working to clean its image over the allegations, with Banerjee promising a corruption-free regime if she wins the polls.

As the ED investigation continues, the TMC is facing growing pressure from opposition parties and sections of the media to reveal more about the alleged funding. However, Banerjee remains defiant, saying that she has nothing to hide and that the probe is an attempt to discredit her and her party.