Ration scam: ED conducts raids at 10 places in Bengal

Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths on Tuesday carried out simultaneous raids at 10 different places in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district in connection with their ongoing probe into the multi-crore ration distribution scam, an official said.

The agency sleuths, accompanied by central forces, conducted raids at residences, mills and offices belonging to businessmen and two TMC leaders in Rajarhat, Barasat, Basirhat, Bhangar, and Deganga areas, he said.

"Rice and flour mills, as well as offices of businessmen are directly or indirectly involved in the scam. Among those are mills belonging to two Trinamool Congress leaders in Deganga that are being searched," the official told PTI.

ED officers also searched vehicles belonging to a TMC leader who is considered to be close to state forest minister Jyotipriyo Mallick, who has been arrested in connection with the scam, he said.

The premises of another businessman from Sangrampur in Basirhat, who was involved in gold, coal and cow smuggling cases, were also searched.

"This businessman had invested huge amounts of money in the ration distribution scam as well as in gold and brick kiln business," he said.

Incidentally, in 2014, this businessman was arrested in a gold smuggling case.

The ED has already arrested Jyotipriyo Mallick, who was earlier the food minister, for his alleged role in the scam. PTI