In the case of ration scam, the Enforcement Directorate team is continuously conducting raids in West Bengal. Meanwhile, on Friday, the ED team reached North 24 Parganas to conduct raids. But the ED team was surrounded and attacked by a mob of villagers. The mob also vandalized the vehicles of ED officers as well as the central security forces.
This case of attack on ED team is from Sandeshkhali village of North 24 Parganas district. The team of the investigating agency had reached here to raid the house of TMC leader SK Shahjahan Shaikh in the ration scam case. During this time, a crowd of about 200 people suddenly attacked the ED team. The mob vandalized the vehicles of the ED officer and the central security forces accompanying him. According to the information, the assistant director of ED was also included in the team that had come to conduct the raid. The mob also broke his car. However, after this attack, TMC leader SK Shahjahan has been arrested.
30 percent ration sold in open market
ED raids in West Bengal in connection with the ration distribution scam have been going on for several months. The Enforcement Directorate had earlier revealed that about 30 per cent of the Public Distribution System (PDS) ration meant for beneficiaries in West Bengal was sent to the open market. The investigating agency had said that the money found after the alleged theft of ration was distributed among the mill owners and PDS distributors.
Farmers opened fake bank accounts
The rice mill owners, in connivance with some people including some cooperative societies, opened fake bank accounts of the farmers and pocketed the MSP paid to the paddy growers. One of the prime suspects admitted that the rice mill owners had earned around Rs 200 per quintal.
Jyotipriya Malik's house also raided
Earlier, ED had also raided the residence of Bengal Minister Jyotipriya Malik in the ration scam case. Before becoming Forest Minister, Jyotipriya Malik had also held the charge of Food Minister. Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate had arrested rice mill owner Bakibur Rahman in this alleged scam. Rahman, who started his career as a rice mill owner in 2004, went on to set up three more companies in the next two years. According to ED officials, Rehman allegedly opened a series of shell companies and withdrew the money.
Minister has been arrested in teacher recruitment scam
Let us tell you that ED raids on TMC leaders have been happening earlier also. The investigating agency has also interrogated Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, in a corruption-related case. Former Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee have also been arrested in 2022 in connection with the teacher recruitment scam.
