Bengal ration distribution case: ED confiscates 58 term deposits of arrested minister’s wife, daughter

Kolkata, Dec 14 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths has confiscate 58 term deposits in the names of the wife and daughter of Jyotipriya Mallick, the West Bengal Minister arrested in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution case.

The total amount confiscated by the central agency is Rs 2.89 crore, informed sources said.

The mentions of these term deposits are there in the first charge sheet filed by the ED at a special court in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Earlier, Rs 16.87 crore in certain bank accounts were also frozen, the sources said.

In the charge sheet, the ED also mentioned about the existence of the 101 properties owned by Kolkata-based businessman Bakibur Rahman, the first to be arrested in connection to the case.

The probe agency has recorded the statements of the wife and daughter of Mallick, the state’s incumbent forest minister who had also served as the former state food & supplies minister.

However, none of them have been referred as accused in the charge sheet, which identifies the Minister and the arrested businessman as the masterminds of the ration distribution case.

In the charge sheet, the ED also mentions about 10 corporate entities, which the investigative officials believe to be shell entities meant for channelising the proceeds of the scam.

Of these 10 entities, as per ED;s finding, many were indirectly controlled by the arrested minister, by deputing his family relations including wife and daughter as well as his close associates as the directors.

Some of these corporate entities have already gone in the process of liquidation, according to records of the Registrar of Companies (ROC).

–IANS

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