Bengal ‘ration scam’: ED arrests minister, secures 10-day remand from Kolkata court

Meanwhile, the minister, who held the Food and Supplies portfolio from 2011 to 2021, fainted in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court and even vomited before he was taken in an ambulance to a private hospital where he was admitted later. He told the judge that his blood sugar level was high and he had swelling in his feet.

The court ordered that though Mallick will be in ED custody till November 6, the period during which he will remain in hospital will be excluded from the remand period. The court also ruled that the hospital will set up a medical board within 24 hours and the minister’s lawyer can meet him for an hour every day.

The agency had prayed for a 14-day remand of the accused.

Earlier, when being taken by the ED officials and CRPF personnel from his Salt Lake residence to the agency’s office in CGO Complex in Kolkata, the minister said, “I am a victim of a huge conspiracy. Suvendu Adhikari (Leader of Opposition in Assembly) and the BJP are behind this.”

He was taken to ESI Hospital in Joka where his medical checkup was done for nearly three hours.

In response to the judge’s question whether the minister was tortured, agency counsel Phiroze Edulji during the hearing claimed that “the concept of torture is alien to the ED”.

On Thursday, the ED carried out raids on eight premises, including that of Mallick and his associates, starting from the minister’s house at 6:30 am. The agency also conducted searches at two flats that purportedly belong to the minister.

The investigators are probing Mallick’s alleged links to businessman Bakibur Rahman, who was arrested in the case on October 14 following a 53-hour-long raid at his flat in North 24 Parganas district’s Kaikhali., it is learnt. They also conducted a search at the Nagerbazar residence of Mallick’s personal assistant Amit Dey in the same district.

Sources in the agency claimed that hundreds of documents with stamps of government departments were found in the flat of Rahman who owns hotels, resorts, and bars besides rice mills. He is also believed to own an apartment in Dubai, they added.

Citing the preliminary investigation, the agency claimed that illegal investments of more than Rs 50 crore were made in his companies.

TMC alleges vendetta; BJP, Congress smell a rat

Siding with Mallick, the TMC leadership alleged political vendetta by the BJP government at the Centre. Talking to mediapersons, state Minister for Women and Child Welfare Shashi Panja said, “The BJP is losing ground nationally and has no political space left in Bengal. Even while raids were on yesterday, a BJP MLA joined us. Now, the BJP has only two weapons left — ED and CBI. The TMC is being targeted. The move (to arrest Mallick) is politically orchestrated.”

“Our leaders have always cooperated with investigative agencies. This is happening all over India, where the BJP is not in power. In the Narada case, everyone saw Suvendu Adhikari accepting money. Why are the agencies silent on him?” she questioned.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumder said, “Mallick’s name was linked with the ration scam for a long time. While he was the food and supplies minister there was huge corruption in procurement of rice and wheat (for PDS). Properties worth crores have been bought by him in his and others’ names. He even bought a bungalow worth Rs 6 crore in Bolpur and spent Rs 87 lakh for carrying paintwork in it. He should be behind the bars.”

State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said, “The ration scam in Bengal is much bigger than any other scams we have seen recently. Not a single department in the state is corruption-free. There has been an organized loot. Food has been snatched from people’s mouths.”