The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday began search operation in at least ten places across North 24 Parganas, including Rajarhat at the eastern part of the greater Kolkata, in connection with the alleged ration distribution scam during the Covid-19 period in West Bengal, official sources said.
The raids were being conducted in at least six houses and four rice mills of a businessman identified ad Barik Biswas, also known to be one of the close associates of arrested former state food minister Jyotirmoy Mallick, they said.
The searches were on progress, besides Rajarhat where Biswas has a flat and cars, at Basirhat and Deganga.
The ED, accompanied by scores of armed CRPF jawans, began raiding the location from dawn, sources added.
Mallick was arrested by the Central agency in October 2023 in connection with the alleged ration distribution scam case.
Besides Mallick, another rice mill owner Bakibur Rahaman, TMC leader and former chairman of
Bongaon municipality Shankar Addya, Sk Sahjahan were arrested in the alleged ration scam.
