The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets valued at ₹50.47 crore belonging to former West Bengal Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick in connection with the investigation into the public distribution system scam.
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The attachments include properties of Bakibur Rahaman, a rice and flour mill owner, and of Sankar Addhya allegedly acquired out of the proceeds of crime derived and obtained from the scam.
“The market value of these properties is estimated to be significantly more than ₹150 crore. These assets include 48 immoveable properties of different persons and entities including residential houses in Salt Lake and Bolpur of Jyoti Priya Mallick, several other ‘benami properties’ held in the name of his close associates, two hotels of Bakibur Rahaman each in Kolkata and Bengaluru, and balance in various bank accounts and fixed deposits,” a press statement by the ED said.
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All the three accused are behind bars. Mr. Mallick, former Minister of food and supplies department, was arrested on October 27, 2023. According to the ED, Mr. Mallick had allegedly received various immovable properties worth more than crores of rupees as ‘gift’ without any consideration in the name of his family members or close associates, which have been provisionally attached under PMLA, 2002.
The agency has alleged that more than ₹10,000 crore was generated as proceeds of the crime under the PDS scam. “It is also revealed during the investigation that a huge amount of PoC was laundered to Dubai and other countries by converting Indian rupees into foreign currencies through full-fledged money changer companies owned/controlled by Sankar Addhya, Biswajit Das and others,” the ED statement said.
The agency said during investigation three modus operandi were detected for generation of proceeds of crime which include, siphoning of PDS ration to open market, mixing of old wheat flour in fresh flour meant for PDS distribution and bogus paddy procurement at minimum support price.
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In another development, the ED has provisionally attached immovable properties valued at ₹230.6 crore in the matter of alleged illegal appointment of assistant teachers in Classes IX-X and Classes XI-XII also known as West Bengal school recruitment scam. The properties are being held in the name of Prasanna Kumar Roy and Santi Prasad Sinha and also in the names of various companies/LLPs controlled by them.
ED had earlier arrested Mr. Roy, the middleman involved in the alleged collection of money and details from candidates, and Mr. Sinha, then advisor to the West Bengal School Service Commission. Both are in judicial custody. In another case of primary teachers’ recruitment scam in the State, the ED has already attached/seized properties worth ₹135 Crore.
“The total attachment/seizure in teachers recruitment scams in the State of West Bengal so far stands at ₹365.6 crore,” an ED statement said.