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| Photo Credit: PTI
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said that the magnitude of the scam involving the public distribution system (PDS) in West Bengal was enormous — at least to the tune of “₹9,000-₹10,000 crore”.
The ED’s press statement said: “The investigation carried out so far indicates that the magnitude of the scam is enormous, and the proceeds of crime received and further transferred and layered by one suspected person itself are suspected to be at-least to the tune of ₹9,000-10,000 crore and out of that, ₹2,000 crore were also suspected to be transferred to Dubai either directly or through Bangladesh.”
The alleged scam involving the Food and Supplies Department of the Government of West Bengal resulted in the arrest of State’s Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick on October 27, 2023.
On January 5, a major controversy erupted when the ED’s team was attacked at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district during a raid at Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikh’s residence in connection with the PDS scam.
While Mr. Sheikh remains absconding, the ED said that “complaint was made to jurisdictional Police for registration of FIR for offences under Sections 307, 333, 326, 353, 392, 395, 397, 149, 148, 186, 189, 426, 435, 440, 341 & 342 r/w Section 120B, 109 and 115 of IPC, 1860”. According to the ED, the police registered the First Information Report (FIR) no. 09 of 2024 at Nazat Police Station for offences under Sections 147, 148, 149, 341, 186, 353, 323, 427, 379, 504, 34, which are mostly bailable and non-scheduled offences.
The central investigation agency also alleged that its officers had faced a situation akin to the one that took place in Sandeshkhali while conducting a search at the residence of Sankar Addhya in Simultala Bongaon. The ED said that despite informing the police at Bongaon, a “crowd was allowed to be gathered near premises being searched and the crowd pelted stones and attacked the ED team around 11:30 PM”. Mr. Addhya has been taken into custody by the ED.
During the day, petitioners moved the Calcutta High Court demanding an urgent hearing on the attack on the ED’s team at Sandeshkhali, but the court did not rule in their favour. A Division Bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya said it would hear the matter on Thursday instead of taking it up on Monday itself. “We have read your petition in the newspapers. We will hear your matter in the due course, that is, on Thursday,” the Chief Justice said.
Meanwhile, amidst reports that the West Bengal Police had registered a case against the ED’s officers of breaking and entering Mr. Shahjahan’s residence, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee broke her silence on the law and order situation in the State.
Ms. Banerjee said the State was being maligned. “I am not bothered about criticisms against me. But I will protest if anyone tries to malign the State. Those questioning the law and order situation are trying to malign the State,” she said while addressing the ‘students’ week’ programme in Kolkata.
Although Ms. Banerjee did not directly refer to Sandeshkhali, she stressed on the number of Police Commiserates and Women Police Stations in the State, which had increased during the TMC regime. She also pointed out that Kolkata had emerged as the safest city, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau.
“Those who have taken law in their own hands will not be spared,” West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar said that