Kolkata (The Uttam Hindu): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday was conducting marathon and simultaneous raid and search operations at three different locations in West Bengal in the multi-crore ration distribution case. The three locations where the raid and search operations are going on are Shyampur and Jagatballavpur in Howrah district and Santoshpur in South 24 Parganas district. All three teams of ED are escorted by Central Armed Forces personnel. Sources said that of the three places where the raid and search operations are being conducted, one is the residence of a local businessman who is also in charge of a cooperative society engaged in purchasing food grain from the farmers. During the investigation, ED officials have brought under scanner several such cooperatives, that used to earn two-way profit through their operations. The first avenue of earning was purchasing food grain from the farmers at prices lower than the under-minimum support price.
The second avenue was selling a portion of the food grain purchased from the farmers at premium rates in the open markets instead of supplying the same to the state food & supplies department for distribution through the public distribution system. The two other places where the raid and search operations have been conducted since Wednesday morning are the residences of two local businessmen reportedly very close to the masterminds in the ration distribution case. Recently, former State Food & Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick, who was arrested by ED officials in October 2023 in connection with the ration distribution case, was released on bail. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accommodated him in two committees of the West Bengal Assembly. At the same time, the Chief Minister had claimed that Mallick was a "victim" of conspiracy and was falsely implicated in the case by the central agency. The ED has claimed that the scam exceeds Rs 10,000 crore, and the 'proceeds of crime' were laundered to Dubai and other foreign destinations by the prime accused, including Jyoti Priya Mallick.