West Bengal: ED Arrests TMC Leaders In Multi-Crore Ration Distribution Scam

Kolkata: Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday had arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anisur Rahman and his brother Alif Noor alias Mukul Rahman over multi-crore ration distribution scam. After being produced to the court, the court has given both Anisur and Mukul ED custody till August 12.

Notably, Anisur, the Deganga block president of the TMC, and is said to be the close aide of former state food and civil supplies minister Jyotipriya Mullick who is also arrested by the central agency over the same scam.

After interrogating for over 14 hours, the central sleuths had arrested Anisur and Mukul. Following raids in different properties of Rahman, ED had found several documents in connection to the public distribution scam and also links of Anisur and Mukul with Mullick.

Another close aide of the former minister and a rice mill owner Barik Biswas is also summoned by the central agency and is asked to be present before the central sleuths in the city office.

ED had raided Biswas’ house on Tuesday and had seized Rs. 40 lakh cash and few documents that the central sleuths have recovered about Biswas’ investment in few properties in UAE. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said that it is ‘tip of the iceberg’.

“Not just such small pawns but the big heads should also be booked in connection to the scam. The amount which is being said must have been siphoned in this scam is nothing. If proper investigation is done then the ultimate amount will be more than all the scams in the country,” said Bhattacharya.

Senior CPI (M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said that everyone is ‘aware’ of the ‘mastermind’ behind the scam. “With Anisur and Mukul it was not possible for Jyotipriya to run such a huge scam. TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee and her close aides should be questioned and only then the real scams will be out,” added the CPI (M) leader.