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In the second most prominent alleged corruption case in West Bengal, involving the PDS Ration Scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kolkata has attached 48 immovable properties worth over Rs 150 crores belonging to the then state Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick and other accused.
These assets include two hotels and residential houses belonging to Jyoti Priya Mallick, then Minister-In-Charge of Food and Supply Department of government of West Bengal, Bakibur Rahaman (rice and flour miller), Sankar Addhya and others. The value of the attached properties is Rs 50.47 crore which the agency claimed is allegedly acquired out of Proceeds of Crime (PoC) derived and obtained from PDS Ration Scam by several persons including Jyoti Priya Mallick. ED's Kolkata Zonal Office has provisionally attached these assets which include 48 immoveable properties of different persons and entities including residential house in Salt Lake, Bolpur of Jyoti Priya Mallick, several other 'Benami Properties' held in the name of his close associates, two Hotels of Bakibur Rahaman each in Kolkata and Bengaluru and balances in various bank accounts and Fixed Deposits. It is also found that Jyoti Priya Mallick has allegedly received various immovable properties worth more than crores of rupees as "gift" without any consideration in the name of his family members or close associates, which have been provisionally attached under PMLA, 2002, said the ED in a statement. ED initiated investigation on the basis of various FIRs registered by West Bengal Police, wherein various private persons were found in unauthorized possession of Ration meant for delivery through PDS and also found to be involved in bogus procurement of paddy. During PMLA investigations, three important modus operandi were detected for generation of Proceeds of Crime (PoC) related to PDS scam such as siphoning of PDS ration to open market, mixing of old wheat flour in fresh flour meant for PDS distribution and bogus paddy procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP). "It is suspected that in the PDS scam proceeds of crime worth more than Rs 10,000 crore was generated," said the ED. In this case, Bakibur Rahaman, Jyoti Priya Mallick, Sankar Addhya and Biswajit Das were arrested under section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and all are at present in judicial custody. "It is also revealed during the investigation that a huge amount of proceeds of crime was laundered to Dubai and other countries by converting INR into foreign currencies through Full Fledged Money Changer Companies owned and controlled by Sankar Addhya, Biswajit Das and others," said the ED. In this regard prosecution complaint was filed before special PMLA court in Kolkata on December 12, 2023 and supplementary prosecution complaint was filed on March 5 this year. Cognizance of both the complaint has been taken by the court. "Further, prayer has been made vide above complaints for confiscation of properties acquired and obtained from proceeds of crime (PoC) which includes 101 immovable properties and balance in several bank accounts," added the financial crime probe agency. (ANI)
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