The Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing different alleged scams in connection with school service recruitments, ration distribution irregularities etc in the state under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Thursday summoned Trinamul Congress MP-cum-actor Dipak Adhikari alias Dev to appear before the central investigating agency’s head office in New Delhi on 21 February.

Earlier in 2022, another central investigating agency, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had grilled the MP from Ghatal for about five hours at Nizam Palace in the city in connection with his alleged involvement in a cattle smuggling case.

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Dev was not available for comment. But he might face the ED interrogations in Delhi, it’s learnt.

The ED wants to interrogate him to explore his alleged involvement in the money laundering case.

BJP MLA Heeran in 2023 had brought allegations against Dev saying that the latter was involved in recruitment scam in the state.

The saffron party MLA had also alleged that the ruling party MP had taken Rs 5 crore from Enamul Haque, an accused in the cattle smuggling case.

Hardly a couple of weeks ago, with resignations from three administrative posts in Ghatal College, Ghatal Sub-Divisional Hospital and Birsingha Development Board respectively, speculation was rife that Dev might quit politics.

Earlier to his resignations, the chief minister and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, in a meeting with her party leadership of West Midnapore district held at Kalighat during the first week of January, had assured that Dev would contest the Lok Sabha election from Ghatal constituency again.

During the last day of the budget session in the parliament, the Tollywood actor in a social media post had written saying: ‘my last day in parliament’ triggering the speculations over his decision to quit politics.

His social media post prompted Miss Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of Trinamul Congress, to sit with him separately at Kalighat and Camac Street respectively, last week.

Later on 12 February, Dev shared the dais with Miss Banerjee at an administrative meeting in Arambagh in Hooghly and announced that he would remain in politics. “I joined politics by holding hands of Didi and am staying back in Trinamul Congress under her leadership,” Deb said at the meeting.