Ration Scam: ED Launches New Raids at Several Kolkata Locations

As part of their continuing investigation into the multi-crore ration scam in West Bengal, teams from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) started conducting searches at several sites in the city on Tuesday morning, according to a senior official.

The ED teams carried out the raids in Salt Lake, Kaikhali, Mirza Galib Street, Howrah, and a few other locations with the support of central troops, he added.

Businessmen and individuals with strong ties to those already detained in the scheme are among those being questioned.

The ration distribution scheme is linked to these raids. After speaking with those who have already been taken into custody in this matter, we have learned of these individuals’ participation,” the ED officer told PTI.

According to him, three people’s homes are being raided, one of them is a foreign exchange broker from Bangaon in the North 24 Parganas area.

Money has been moved to many accounts overseas as part of this fraud. According to the official, this specific businessman is from Bangaon and gets along well with the TMC leader Shankar Adhya, who was just detained.

Adhya, who served as the Bangaon Municipality’s previous chairman, was previously accused by the central investigation agency of owning at least ninety foreign exchange trading firms that are registered in his family members’ names.

According to the official, raids are taking place at the businessman’s two apartments on EM Bypass and his workplace in Sector V of Salt Lake.

Jyotipriyo Mallick, the state minister of forests and formerly the minister of food, has been detained by the ED for his suspected participation in the fraud.

In relation to the scheme, agency investigators have also been searching for the whereabouts of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, who has gone missing.