The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) announced on Friday that they have apprehended Jyotipriya Mallick, West Bengal’s Forest Minister and former State Food and Supplies Minister, in connection with a multi-crore ration distribution case. This arrest followed extensive raid and search operations at Mallick’s Salt Lake residence in the northern outskirts of Kolkata, spanning nearly 20 hours and commencing before 8 am on Thursday. Mallick was transported from his residence at approximately 4 am on Friday and is currently en route to the ED’s central government office (CGO) complex in Salt Lake.
As he entered the ED office early on Friday morning, Mallick asserted that he was a victim of an “excellent conspiracy” orchestrated against him by the BJP.
Following the arrest of former State Education Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Partha Chatterjee, Jyotipriya Mallick has become the second member of the West Bengal cabinet to be taken into custody by the central agency, accused of involvement in an alleged money laundering scam.
Mallick is the fourth TMC legislator to face arrest, after Chatterjee, Manik Bhattacharya, and Jiban Krishna Saha. While the other three were apprehended in relation to their alleged participation in the cash-for-school job case in West Bengal, Mallick’s arrest pertains to the central agency’s inquiry into the ration distribution case that occurred during his previous tenure as the State Food and Supplies Minister from 2011 to 2021.
While Chatterjee, Bhattacharya, and Mallick were arrested by the ED, Saha was apprehended by their counterparts in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Mallick’s involvement in the ration distribution case came to light during the examination of various documents seized by the ED from the residence and office of Kolkata-based businessman Bakibur Rahman, who was recently apprehended by the agency in this matter.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has, in the meantime, threatened to file an FIR against ED officials if the Minister’s health deteriorates, as “he is suffering from high blood-sugar and is not in proper health condition.”
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