ed-raids-12-locations-across-wb-intensifies-ration-scam-probe

With the West Bengal Assembly Elections barely two weeks away, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday escalated its investigation into the alleged ration distribution scam, conducting simultaneous raids at 12 locations across West Bengal, including Kolkata.

 

Early in the morning, multiple ED teams set out from the CGO Complex and fanned out to various parts of the state. Searches are currently underway at several premises in Kolkata as well as in Bongaon, Murshidabad, and Howrah, primarily targeting residences and establishments linked to businessmen suspected of involvement in the alleged racket.

 

According to ED sources, the name of businessman Basant Kumar Saraff surfaced during the course of the investigation. Acting on this lead, officials conducted a search operation at his residence to uncover possible links to the larger network. Investigators are focusing on understanding the modus operandi of the alleged ration smuggling operation and examining whether influential individuals were involved.

 

The ration scam probe had earlier sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape. In 2023, former Food Minister Jyotipriya Mallick—popularly known as ‘Balu’—was arrested by the ED on charges of large-scale corruption and financial irregularities allegedly amounting to several crores of rupees. He was later granted bail on January 15, 2025.

 

Despite the controversy, the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has fielded Mallick as its candidate from the Habra constituency for the upcoming polls. Campaigning in his support, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently alleged that Mallick had been “framed out of malice” and that no concrete evidence had been found against him.

 

Mamata further claimed that members of the CPI(M) had inserted approximately 1.5 lakh fake names into the ration card database and used these identities to siphon off food supplies. She asserted that it was Mallick who exposed the irregularities and introduced reforms such as the digital ration card system, which, she argued, led to his implication in a “fabricated case.”

 

The ED’s fresh round of raids adds a new dimension to the already heated political atmosphere in West Bengal, with the investigation likely to remain a key talking point in the final phase of the election campaign.