Ration distribution scam: Jyotipriya Mallick terms Suvendu Adhikari ‘main’ conspirator in his arrest

Kolkata:  West Bengal Minister Jyotipriya Mallick on Friday described the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari as the “principal conspirator” behind his arrest by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the multi-crore ration distribution corruption case.

After his early morning arrest following a marathon raid and search operations at his residence that started on Thursday morning, Malick — the former state food & supplies minister — was brought to the ED’s Salt Lake office before being taken to ESI Hospital in Joka for the mandatory medical checkup.

He spoke briefly to the media persons while emerging from the ED office. “I am a victim of conspiracy. BJP and Suvendu Adhikari are involved in the conspiracy. It is Suvendu who has mainly conspired,” Mallick said.

The Trinamool Congress leader will be presented at a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata in the afternoon.

It is learnt that the ED officials have confiscated Malick’s mobile phone.

Sources said that during the marathon raid and search operations that lasted over 20 hours, the central agency officials also seized several incriminating documents from his residence at Salt Lake.

Malick, who is currently the state forest minister, was reportedly in a denial mode to answer to the queries of the investigating officials of ED since the beginning.

The sources further said that the investigating officials who went to the minister’s residence were constantly updating their higher officials at ED headquarters in New Delhi on the progress of the raid operations as well as the interrogation of the minister.

That Mallick might be arrested anytime became almost evident on late Thursday night when additional personnel of central armed forces reached Mallick’s Salt Lake residence where the raid and search operations were on.

Following the request of the ED officers, the cops of Bidhannagar City Police also created barricades in the area to keep the crowd at a distance.

–IANS