ED might summon arrested Bengal Minister’s wife, daughter in ration distribution case

Kolkata, Nov 8 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) might summon arrested West Bengal Minister Jyotipriya Mallick's wife and daughter in connection to the multi-crore ration distribution case in the state.

Since the ED began its probe into the case, the bank accounts of both the Minister's wife Manidipa and their daughter Priyadarshini were under the central agency's scanner.

The ED sleuths are intrigued on how the assets of Manidipa Mallick skyrocketed from Rs 45,000 to over Rs 6 crore between 2016 and 2017.

The central probe agency have also frozen the bank accounts of all three of them after investigating officials detected huge inward and outward remittances in and from these accounts at frequent intervals.

In connection to the case, Jyotipriya Mallick, the state's incumbent Forest Minister, was arrested by the ED on October 21 after nearly 20 hours of marathon raid and search operations at his Salt Lake residence.

On Monday, a city court extended his custody by another seven days.

Meanwhile, the ED has also observed a similarity in the matter with that of the involvement of Trinamool Congress legislator and former president of West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) education Manik Bhattacharya in the multi-crore cash-for school job case.

In that case, the sleuths tracked the use of the bank accounts of Bhattacharya’s wife Satarupa and son Souvik, for the purpose of diversion of the alleged scam proceeds.

While Satarupa Bhattacharya is currently released on bail, both the father and the son are currently serving judicial custody.

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