Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday launched a raid at the residence of West Bengal former food supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick in connection with an alleged corruption in ration distribution. Also the residence of the minister's assistant, Amit De in Dum Dum was raided.
Notably, the Centre has often raised questions about alleged irregularities in the public distribution system (PDS) and also trained its guns on the West Bengal government over 'anomalies' in the distribution of food grains during the lockdown.
Accompanied by Central Army jawans, the ED sleuths reached forest minister Mallick's Salt Lake residence. According to sources, the minister was at home when the raid was conducted.
The ED officials conducted search operations in several other places along with Mallick's residence since morning. According to ED sources, Mallick's name surfaced after the arrest of Bakibur Rahman, a businessman in the ration corruption case. The investigating agency is probing into Mallick's alleged links to Rahman.
A team of central forces arrived at the minister house in Salt Lake BC block this morning. The team also went to his flats in Nagerbazar and Swami Vivekananda Road but these were found locked.
While investigating the municipal recruitment case, the sleuths came to know about the ration corruption case. Ahead of Durga Puja, the CBI conducted simultaneous raids in various municipalities of the state and the residences of state minister Firhad Hakim and Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra in this connection.
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Now, the ED officials have conducted a search operation at a total of eight locations across the state into the alleged corruption in ration distribution.
Also Read: Maharashtra: ED raids house of senior IRS officer in Mumbai in alleged disproportionate assets case
