Enforcement Directorate Seeks Custody of West Bengal Forest Minister in Ration Distribution Scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested West Bengal’s forest minister and former food & supplies minister, Jyotipriya Mallick, in connection with a multi-crore ration distribution scam. Mallick was taken into custody on Friday morning and is expected to appear in a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata.

The ED aims to seek the minister’s custody for further questioning, particularly in connection with Bakibur Rahman, a Kolkata-based businessman previously arrested by the agency in the same case.

The ration distribution scam involves the alleged sale of wheat intended for fair-price distribution shops in the open market. Rahman is believed to have played a pivotal role in these irregularities, and ED has already identified assets and properties worth over Rs 100 crore in his name and those of his family members and associates.