Kolkata: Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the early hours of Friday in the ration scam, fainted inside the courtroom, an official said.
The state forest minister collapsed after fainting during hearing inside the court, the official added. Mallick was then escorted out of the courtroom to a balcony and given water to drink, he said. The arrest came a day after the ED conducted searches at Mallick's residence in Salt Lake, on the outskirts of Kolkata.
"West Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick has been arrested by ED in connection with an alleged case of corruption in rationing distribution," the agency stated in an official release.
"I am the victim of a grave conspiracy," the arrested minister was heard telling media persons while he was being escorted out of his Salt Lake residence. The ED has been carrying out searches in connection with an alleged case of corruption in ration distribution.