West Bengal PDS Scam: Money Laundering Raids Shake Politically Charged State

The Enforcement Directorate raided several locations in West Bengal amidst a money laundering probe into a PDS scam. The investigation involves unlawful diversion of wheat meant for welfare schemes. Raids targeted suppliers and exporters in Kolkata, Burdwan, and Habra, leading to arrests, including former food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) intensified its crackdown on an alleged PDS scam by raiding multiple locations across poll-bound West Bengal on Saturday. Sources confirmed that premises belonging to suppliers and exporters in Kolkata, Burdwan, and Habra were targeted, including those linked to Niranjan Chandra Saha.

The investigation, rooted in a 2020 FIR filed by Basirhat police, revolves around the unauthorized diversion of wheat meant for state welfare schemes. The ED alleges that key players in the supply chain, including officials, distributors, and middlemen, orchestrated the illegal maneuvering of PDS stock into the open market.

The scandal, which has already seen the arrest of former West Bengal food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, surfaces at a critical time with the second phase of Assembly elections approaching. This operation underscores continuing efforts to clamp down on corruption within the state.