Bengal ration scam: Accused used fair price wheat in open market

Kolkata: Kolkata-based businessman, Bakibur Rahman, who was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the ration distribution scam in West Bengal, was involved in selling wheat allotted for fair price shops in the open market.

Rahman, known as close confidant of a number of politically influential persons including a member of West Bengal cabinet, was produced before a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata on Saturday.

ED said that there is involvement of some officials of the state Food & Supplies Department and a section of the fair price distributors in the scam as well.

The ED counsel informed the court that their sleuths have recovered a registrar book from the possession of Rahman, which had details of wheat collected from this section of the fair price shop distributors.

Sources said that the central agency sleuths suspect that the alleged ration distribution scam, whose connections are spread in various districts of the state, will be not less than Rs 100 crore.

The special court of PMLA, on Monday, remanded Rahman to judicial custody till October 16.

On Friday, the ED arrested Rahman after conducting raid and search operations at his residence and hotel at Kaikhali in the northern outskirts of Kolkata.

On Thursday, the ED officials also conducted parallel raid and search operations at Rahman's business associate Abhishek Biswas.

ED has also seized documents from his residence and hotel. The arrest is viewed as extremely significant since it opens a new area of corruption in rationing distribution in West Bengal.