The Enforcement Directorate carried out fresh raids across multiple locations in West Bengal, including Kolkata, as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the Public Distribution System (PDS). The searches were conducted at around nine premises linked to suppliers and exporters in areas such as Kolkata, Burdwan, and Habra, even as the state is in the midst of its Assembly election cycle.
The case, widely referred to as the “Bengal ration scam,” originates from a 2020 FIR registered in Basirhat following a complaint by a customs official. The complaint alleged large-scale diversion of wheat meant for distribution under government welfare schemes. According to investigators, the diversion involved a coordinated network of suppliers, distributors, dealers, and intermediaries who allegedly procured subsidised grain through unauthorised means.
The agency stated that the accused developed a systematic method to siphon off PDS wheat from the supply chain. Once diverted, the foodgrains were collected at multiple storage points. To conceal their origin, the original gunny bags marked by the Food Corporation of India and state authorities were reportedly replaced or altered, allowing the wheat to be repackaged and passed off as legitimate stock for commercial sale or export.
The investigation has already seen key arrests, including that of former state minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, along with other individuals allegedly linked to the network. The current round of searches is part of a broader effort to trace financial transactions, identify additional participants, and uncover the extent of the alleged laundering of proceeds generated through the diversion.
These developments come at a politically sensitive time, with polling underway for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The second phase of voting is scheduled for April 29, following the first phase held on April 23. The timing of the raids has added to the political context surrounding the investigation, as authorities continue to examine the scale and structure of the alleged scam.
