Total financial involvement in Bengal ration distribution case Rs 10K crore: ED tells court

Kolkata, June 21 (IANS) The total financial involvement in the multi-crore ration distribution case in West Bengal ranges to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has informed a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) here on Friday.

An ED counsel said that of the Rs 10,000 crore, the central agency officials have tracked, Rs 1,000 crore was routed through the corporate entities and rice-mills owned by the arrested businessman in the case, Bakibur Rahaman.

Rahman, the first to be arrested by the ED official last year in the ration distribution case, was a confidant of former West Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick.

Regarding the remaining Rs 9,000 crore, the ED told the court that their officials are currently in the process of “joining the dots” regarding the other corporate entities or channels through which the funds were routed.

On Thursday, former minister Mallick had approached the Calcutta High Court with a bail petition.

However, the ED opposed the bail plea moved on medical grounds.

Meanwhile, the ED counsel sought some time from the single-judge bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh to present their arguments in the matter.

Justice Ghosh had approved the plea from ED counsel and given him four days of time to come prepared with the arguments on his side.

The matter will be heard again on June 25.

–IANS

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