The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday morning started simultaneous searches at multiple places in West Bengal, including residences of some state officers, in connection with its investigation into alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds, officials said.

The ED was conducting searches at the residence of a West Bengal Civil Services (WBCS) officer in Salt Lake's IA Block. He was earlier posted as a block development officer in Dhaniakhali in Hooghly district, they said.

An ED officer said that he was not in his residence when they reached. "We are trying to locate him," he said.

Searches were also underway at the government accommodation of a WBCS officer in Jhargram district, officials said.

Besides the searches, he was being questioned by officers of the agency, they said.

The ED was also conducting searches at the house and office of a businessman at Chinsurah in Hooghly district, they said.

Searches were also being conducted at a property linked to a state government employee in Baharampur in Murshidabad district. He was posted with the Panchayat Department, they added.

"An amount of Rs 4.5 crore was detected in his sister's account. The money is suspected to be from MGNREGA funds," an officer said.

The searches were being conducted after evidence of their involvement was found in the "irregularities", he claimed.

The alleged irregularities relate to about 25 lakh "fake" job cards issued under MGNREGA in the state, officials said.

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