The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a lookout notice (LOC) against Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner of Police Shantanu Sinha Biswas, barring him from leaving India amid an ongoing money laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The notice, issued on May 5, 2026, by the ED's Kolkata zonal office, was circulated through immigration and border authorities following concerns that the officer may attempt to flee the country to evade the central agency's probe.
The LOC follows Biswas's alleged repeated non-compliance with multiple ED summons issued for personal questioning. Rather than appearing before investigators himself, he reportedly sent a lawyer on each occasion, citing a busy schedule. The ED, treating this pattern as deliberate evasion, escalated its action by classifying him as a flight risk.
The investigation is linked to the alleged "Sona Pappu" syndicate, run by one Biswajit Podder, involving charges of illegal land deals, extortion, sand smuggling, and money laundering in West Bengal. ED raids conducted in April 2026 targeted properties linked to Biswas, including residences in Ballygunge and Behala, during which cash and other items were recovered. Businessman Joy Kamdar of Sun Enterprise was arrested in connection with the same probe.
Shantanu Sinha Biswas previously served as Officer-in-Charge of Kalighat Police Station and is alleged to have had financial dealings connected to the syndicate's operations. The development is part of a broader pattern of central agency action in West Bengal coinciding with the 2026 state assembly elections.
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