The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally connected belongings valued at ₹50.47 crore belonging to former West Bengal Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick in reference to the investigation into the public distribution system rip-off.
The attachments embrace properties of Bakibur Rahaman, a rice and flour mill proprietor, and of Sankar Addhya allegedly acquired out of the proceeds of crime derived and obtained from the rip-off.
“The market worth of those properties is estimated to be considerably greater than ₹150 crore. These belongings embrace 48 immoveable properties of various individuals and entities together with residential homes in Salt Lake and Bolpur of Jyoti Priya Mallick, a number of different ‘benami properties’ held within the identify of his shut associates, two resorts of Bakibur Rahaman every in Kolkata and Bengaluru, and steadiness in varied financial institution accounts and glued deposits,” a press assertion by the ED mentioned.
All of the three accused are behind bars. Mr. Mallick, former Minister of meals and provides division, was arrested on October 27, 2023. In line with the ED, Mr. Mallick had allegedly obtained varied immovable properties value greater than crores of rupees as ‘present’ with no consideration within the identify of his relations or shut associates, which have been provisionally connected below PMLA, 2002.
The company has alleged that greater than ₹10,000 crore was generated as proceeds of the crime below the PDS rip-off. “Additionally it is revealed in the course of the investigation that a large quantity of PoC was laundered to Dubai and different nations by changing Indian rupees into foreign currency by full-fledged cash changer corporations owned/managed by Sankar Addhya, Biswajit Das and others,” the ED assertion mentioned.
The company mentioned throughout investigation three modus operandi have been detected for technology of proceeds of crime which embrace, siphoning of PDS ration to open market, mixing of previous wheat flour in recent flour meant for PDS distribution and bogus paddy procurement at minimal help worth.
In one other growth, the ED has provisionally connected immovable properties valued at ₹230.6 crore within the matter of alleged unlawful appointment of assistant academics in Lessons IX-X and Lessons XI-XII often known as West Bengal college recruitment rip-off. The properties are being held within the identify of Prasanna Kumar Roy and Santi Prasad Sinha and likewise within the names of varied corporations/LLPs managed by them.
ED had earlier arrested Mr. Roy, the intermediary concerned within the alleged assortment of cash and particulars from candidates, and Mr. Sinha, then advisor to the West Bengal College Service Fee. Each are in judicial custody. In one other case of main academics’ recruitment rip-off within the State, the ED has already connected/seized properties value ₹135 Crore.
“The whole attachment/seizure in academics recruitment scams within the State of West Bengal to date stands at ₹365.6 crore,” an ED assertion mentioned.