The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials on Friday raided the houses of former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh and kept Belda police station officer-in-charge Pradip Rath under closed doors following their alleged involvement in misconduct and extortion from civilians.

A senior CID officer said: “We have conducted raids in 12 locations and seized Rs 60 lakh in cash, 2 kg gold, land deeds and passports. We will continue the raids.” The raids were conducted following a court order after one Chandan Majhi complained that some police personnel had forcefully taken money from him late last year.

The complainant also raised finger against the former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh who was once ‘very trusted police officer’ to chief minister Mamata Banerjee. In the first-ever crackdown against former IPS officer in West Bengal Bharati Ghosh, CID raids started on her premises of different houses across the state since last night including the premises of other police officers who were reportedly loyals and unearthed assets of cash and gold jewellery.

Ms Ghosh(55) was a controversial police officer of West Bengal who often drew flak from political opponents of the Trinamul Congress for being too close to the ruling dispensation. According to sources, the CID sleuths in many groups fanned out at different districts, including Kolkata, and began raiding the houses where Ms Ghosh often used to visit and stay. The CID sleuths started interrogating the Belda police station officer-incharge Pradip Rath in West Midnapore, who reportedly is very close to Ms Ghosh.

CID officers who raided the house of MS Ghosh at Netaji Nagar in south Kolkata seized some documents. The CID officers refused to talk to the media saying that they have an order for searching and any incriminating document if seized to be taken to Bhawani Bhawan, headquarters ofWest Bengal police.

The former IPS officer courted controversy when she termed Miss Banerjee as the mother of Junglemahal at a public meeting in Midnapore town in 2015. She was shunted to the post of a battalion commander of state armed police on 25 December after which she sent her resignation to Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purakayastha, police sources said.

She taook over as West Midnapore police superintendent in 2012. The sudden transfer and subsequent resignation of the official of the chief minister has triggered political speculation. A day before the CID raids, Ms Ghosh had reportedly sent video message to reporters saying that she had collected documents proving that some political leaders were planning to frame her in a false case. The political leaders, she claimed, had made false propaganda against her during the Sabang by-polls.