PDS Ration 'Scam': ED Crackdown On Ex-Bengal Minister Jyoti Mallick, 2 Others, Seizes Assets Over Rs 150 Cr

The ED said it has attached assets worth more than Rs 150 crore linked to Jyoti Priya Mallick and two others in a money laundering case.

In a massive crackdown on former West Bengal food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick in a PDS ration "scam"-linked money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said it has attached assets worth more than Rs 150 crore linked to him and two others in the alleged scam, as reported by news agency PTI.

Besides Mallick, the other two accused are his alleged aide and rice and flour miller Bakibur Rahaman, and TMC leader Shankar Adhya. The probe agency arrested the three in the case and are currently lodged in jail under judicial custody.

In a statement, the ED said, "The attached assets include 48 immovable properties of different people and entities including Mallick's house in Salt Lake, Bolpur, several other "benami properties" held in the name of his close associates, two hotels of Rahaman in Kolkata and Bengaluru each, bank balance in various accounts and fixed deposits," as quoted by PTI.

According to the statement, Mallick allegedly "received" some of these immovable properties worth more than crores of rupees as "gifts" in the name of his family members or close associates. Adhya is a TMC leader from Bongaon under North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

An ED team that had gone to search his place was attacked by a mob and their vehicle was damaged on January 5. The same day, another team of the agency was assaulted when it went to search the premises of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in the district's Sandeshkhali area.

The federal agency said the book value of these assets is Rs 50.47 crore while their market value is estimated to be significantly more than Rs 150 crore, as reported by PTI. It has claimed that "proceeds of crime" worth more than Rs 10,000 crore were generated through this alleged scam which the agency began investigating after taking cognisance of some West Bengal Police FIRs.

The ED complaint alleged that some private persons were found in unauthorised possession of rations meant for delivery through the Public Distribution System (PDS) and were also found to be involved in bogus procurement of paddy.

It alleged that there were majorly three ways through which the PDS ration was pilfered and the alleged scam was perpetrated. These included siphoning of PDS ration to open market, mixing old wheat flour in fresh flour meant for PDS distribution and bogus paddy procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP).

The ED further claimed that a huge amount of proceeds was laundered" to Dubai and other countries. "A "huge" amount of the proceeds was "laundered" to Dubai and other countries by converting the Indian rupee into foreign currencies through full-fledged money changer companies owned or controlled by Adhya," the probe agency said, as quoted by PTI. So far, two chargesheets have been filed by the probe agency in this case against Mallick, Rahaman and a company called NPG Rice Mill.