Bengal ration scam: ED gets clues of accounts of arrested minister's in-laws used to diverts funds

Kolkata, Nov 18 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the multi-crore ration distribution case in West Bengal has got some specific clues hinting that the that the bank accounts of the mother-in-law and brother-in-law of arrested Trinamool Congress minister Jyotipriya Mallick were used for diversion of the proceeds of the alleged scam.

Earlier, the ED had informed about using the bank accounts of the minister’s wife and daughter for the same purpose.

Sources said the central agencies have also received specific clues that besides using their bank accounts for fund diversion, the minister’s mother-in-law and brother-in-law were made directors for some time in three of the 10 shell corporate entities, whose names surfaced in the course of the investigation.

The companies where the minister’s in-laws were made the directors for a certain period of time were mainly linked with Bakibur Rahaman, the Kolkata-based businessman who was the first to be arrested by ED in the ration distribution case.

The three doubtful corporate entities where the minister’s mother-in-law and brother-in-law were directors are Shree Hanuman Realcon Private Limited, Gracious Innovative Private Limited, and Gracious Creation Private Limited.

As per ED’s findings, these three entities were floated for a limited period of time having the sole purpose of fund diversion.

As per the records of the Registrar of Companies (ROC), while the current status of Shree Hanuman Realcon is dissolved, the status of the other two entities is shown as "under liquidation".

As per ED’s findings, Rs 23 crore of scam proceeds were diverted through three shell corporate entities.