K
Kolkata: In a significant development, West Bengal Forest Affairs Minister Jyotipriya Mallick has been taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) due to alleged involvement in a corruption case linked to ration distribution. The arrest comes a day after ED officials conducted a search at Mallick’s residence in the Salt Lake area of Kolkata.
Caught in the midst of media frenzy while being escorted out of his home, Mallick asserted, “I am the victim of a grave conspiracy.” He made these remarks as ED investigators, supported by the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), led him away.
The ED, in an official statement quoted by ANI, confirmed the arrest, “West Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick has been arrested by ED in connection with an alleged case of corruption in rationing distribution.”
Mallick, who is currently serving as the state’s Forest Affairs Minister, has previously held the position of minister for the Food and Civil Supplies department, bringing additional scrutiny to his involvement in the alleged corruption.
The West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) Supremo, Mamata Banerjee, has yet to make a public statement regarding Mallick’s arrest.
This is not the first time a high-profile political figure in West Bengal has been implicated in a corruption case this year. Former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his associate Arpita Mukherjee were arrested earlier in 2023 following the discovery of substantial cash reserves at Mukherjee’s apartment. Both are currently under investigation in relation to the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam.
Additionally, Anubrata Mondal, the TMC’s district president for Birbhum, has been arrested in connection with a cattle smuggling case.
Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and a prominent TMC leader, has also found himself in the crosshairs of the ED, having been summoned and interrogated multiple times in connection to an alleged coal scam.
As the ED continues its investigation into corruption in ration distribution, the arrest of Jyotipriya Mallick adds another layer of complexity to West Bengal’s political landscape, raising questions about governance and accountability.
