Bengal ration distribution case: ED finds links with family of approvers in Bihar fodder scam

Kolkata : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the multi-crore ration distribution case in West Bengal have found links of the case with the family relations of an accused in the ill-famous Bihar fodder scam, who turned approver at a later stage.

Recently, the ED officials conducted a raid and search operation at the offices and residences of the director of a Kolkata- based packaged flour production and marketing entity Ankit India Limited.

Now, one of the directors of the said corporate entity namely Dipesh Chandak was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 1996 in connection with the fodder scam in Bihar. However, both turned approvers at a later stage and got released.

As per information, the Chandak brothers at a later stage got close to former West Bengal food & supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick, who has been arrested recently by the ED sleuths in connection with the ration distribution scam.

Sources said that the name of Chandak cropped up during the course of interrogations of the present and former personal assistant of the ED sleuths in this connection. A crucial hearing on the bail petition of Mallick is scheduled at a special court in Kolkata on Monday afternoon.

The ED investigations have already revealed that fund diversions made in cash in the multi-crore ration distribution case in West Bengal might be much more than similar diversions through use of shell companies. The central agency sleuths have tracked several payments as investments in certain businesses as well as some deposits in certain banks, the majority of which were made in cash.

The ED sleuths have now started investigating whether Standard Operating Procedures in case of cash deposits were followed by the banks, especially in regards to registering the PAN of the depositor in case the one-time cash deposit exceeded Rs 49,999, sources said. Sources added that even in the case of deposits under Rs 50,000 the ED sleuths are trying to track the frequency with which such deposits were made.