ED searches residence of West Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick in rationing distribution case

Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at the residence of forest minister Jyotipriya Mallick at Salt Lake in Kolkata on Thursday.  The ED searches are being conducted in connection with an alleged case of corruption in rationing distribution.

As per reports, the ED raid against Mallick is currently ongoing at 8 locations in West Bengal.

Mallick is currently the minister for forest affairs and previously held the portfolio for food and supplies in the state government. He won Habra seat in North 24 Paraganas in West Bengal elections of 2021. 

Mallick is a lawyer by profession and has assets worth ₹6 crore.

As per MyNeta, in 2019-20, he earned ₹40 lakh, ₹52 lakh in 2018-19 and ₹12 lakh in 2017-18.

The minister has no criminal cases against him.

As per his election affidavit, he had cash of ₹22,000 and bank account had deposits worth ₹4.8 crore.

The opposition has repeatedly claimed vendetta by ruling dispensation of Modi government in these ED raids. 

"The ED raids are nothing but an action of a political vendetta at the behest of the BJP at the Centre to tarnish the image of the INDIA alliance before the 2024 parliamentary elections," Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur told PTI in August.

Earlier, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot alleged that the BJP is using the ED to harass the Congress. He said, “The non-stop ED raids in Rajasthan are proof that Congress is winning the election. Unable to win the trust of the people of Rajasthan, the BJP is misusing ED to harass the Congress.”

Gehlot made these remarks as ED searched at a coaching institute, private persons, and others as part of its ongoing money laundering probe into the alleged question paper leak of the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers, 2021. 

Raids were conducted at seven places in Nagaur, Sikar, and Jaipur on October 17. Elections will be held in the state on November 25 and counting of votes will take place on December 3.