Kolkata

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted fresh searches as part of its ongoing money laundering probe against Kolkata-based real estate company Merlin Group and some linked entities, officials said.

The action in the poll-bound state is the follow up of the raids conducted by the agency on April 8 against the Group (Merlin Projects Limited) and its promoters Sushil Mohta and Saket Mohta.

About 4-5 premises in Kolkata and North 24 Parganas district of certain entities involved in the case are being searched under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Friday, the officials said.

The Merlin Group has earlier said in a statement that it was cooperating with the ED and that all its transactions were transparent.

ED officials had said the agency is investigating alleged financial links between the company and some politicians and officials of the West Bengal government as part of this probe.

The promoters and the company are under the ED scanner on charges of fabricating a "false" chain of title using "forged" documents, leading to land-grabbing allegations.

The agency alleged that the accused commercially "exploited" the purportedly grabbed land by launching "large-scale" real estate projects.

By projecting themselves as lawful owners using "forged" documents, the accused induced the public to invest "substantial" sums in their real estate projects, according to the agency.

READ MORE: Sarvath Adil Khan's mission of reigniting the dreams of school dropouts

The company said its project under the scanner-- Merlin Niyasa project-- was developed under a "valid" agreement, executed transparently and lawfully.

West Bengal will have two phase polls on April 23 and April 29.