ED Arrests Bengal Minister Jyotipriya Mallick In 'Ration Scam' Case, He Calls Action 'Grave Conspiracy'

ED has arrested Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick in connection with an alleged 'ration distribution' scam after raiding his house.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested the West Bengal Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Jyotipriya Mallick in connection with an alleged corruption case in the public distribution system, reported ANI. The agency arrested him after conducting a raid at his residence in the Salt Lake region of Kolkata.

The minister told media persons that he was the "victim of a grave conspiracy." According to ANI, the ED said, "West Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick has been arrested by ED in connection with an alleged case of corruption in rationing distribution."

This comes as ED has been conducting searches in connection with an alleged case of corruption in the ration distribution scheme. 

Meanwhile, BJP state president Dr Sukanta Majumdar said, "His arrest was certain...Mamata Banerjee sympathises with thieves."

Jyotipriya Mallick is the Minister of Forest Affairs and previously held the portfolio for the Food and Civil Supplies department.

The development comes amid an ongoing tussle between opposition and ruling BJP on the actions taken by the agency against Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot while reacting to this action against Dotasra accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "unleashing" the central agencies in Rajasthan to "terrorise" the Congress party ahead of the November 25 assembly polls. Pilot said, "The way central agencies have been unleashed in Rajasthan to terrorise Congress and its leaders is being watched by the people of the state. BJP knows they are losing the assembly elections and that's why they are conducting raids without any substantial basis."

Earlier this year, the ED had arrested the former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee, in connection with the teachers' recruitment scam, after it recovered a significant amount of cash from the latter's residence. Both leaders are now facing a probe into the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam.

TMC's Burbhum district president Anubrata Mondal was also arrested in connection with a cattle smuggling case. The nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, has also been summoned and questioned by the ED on many occasions in connection with an alleged coal 'scam' case.