KOLKATA: Digging deep into the alleged ration distribution scam involving Rs 10,000 crore, in which former food and supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick was arrested, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday carried out raids at six different locations linked to another arrested TMC leader and his associates.
The ED searched foreign money exchange premises owned by Shankar Adhya, former chief of Bongaon civic body in North 24 Parganas who is behind the bars, in Kolkata and office of a chartered accountant in Salt Lake. Earlier, Aadhya was arrested from his residence after a prolonged search by the ED sleuths.
“His arrest was followed by the revelation made by Mallick during the course of interrogation. We believe the proceeds of the foodgrain scam was transferred to an overseas country through Adhya,” said an ED officer.
Sources in the federal agency said out of Rs 10,000 proceeds of the alleged scam, Rs 2,000 crore was transferred to Dubai with the help of Adhya.
The sleuths of the central agency carried out searches at the four foreign exchange offices owned by Adhya in central Kolkata. “We seized a number of documents which needs to be examined. We have come across enough evidences which suggest Aadhya’s involvement in sending the money to overseas,” said another ED official.
While investigating the foodgrain scam case, the officers of the investigating agency, in an unprecedented incident, were bashed up and left bleeding when recently they tried to search the house of a local TMC leader in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas, Shahjahan Sheikh, who is known to be Mallick’s close aide.
The ED officials claimed they had information that proceeds of the alleged scam was parked with Shahjahan, and the raid was conducted to get access to them.
