Officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have uncovered five shell companies implicated in a multi-crore ration distribution scam in West Bengal, according to sources. The investigation has revealed several key connections between these entities.
All five companies share a common address, registered at the same building on Strand Road in central Kolkata. Additionally, each entity has direct links to former state Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick or his close family members. Mallick has been in judicial custody for nearly ten months in connection with this case.
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Another significant finding is that these companies received numerous high-value deposits from similar sources between 2016 and 2021. One of these sources includes Anusur Rahman, also known as Buidesh, a recently arrested Trinamool Congress block president from Deganga in North 24 Parganas district.
Bidesh and his brother Alif Nur, also known as Mukul, were taken into ED custody on August 1. Both are cousins of businessman Bakibur Rahaman, the first individual arrested in this case. Investigators believe Bidesh and Mukul’s connections to Mallick were facilitated through Rahaman.
Further investigation has revealed transactions between Bakibur Rahaman’s BPG Rice Mills and Hi Tech Rice Mills, a company jointly owned by Bidesh and Mukul, as recently as October 2022. The complex network of rice mills and shell companies used to divert funds has made it challenging for authorities to piece together the full extent of the scam.
The ED continues to sift through extensive financial transactions and connections as the investigation progresses.
