3 alleged Kolkata-based shell corporations had been impaired for laundering the proceeds of crime of the alleged ration distribution rip-off in West Bengal, ED officers have claimed.
An company legit claimed that the 3 shell corporations had been impaired to legalise the lightless cash, which was once in fact the proceeds of crime bobbing up out of the alleged rip-off.
The federal company on Friday arrested Jyoti Priya Mallick, a minister of the important minister Mamata Banerjee-led cupboard on this connection upcoming wondering him and looking his properties for nearly 20 hours since Thursday.
Right through raids in Mallick’s premises on Thursday, the ED allegedly discovered rubber stamps of the 3 corporations – Gracious Launch Non-public Restricted, Shree Hanuman Realcon Non-public Restricted and Gracious Leading edge Non-public Restricted. Rubber stamps of 2 extra Bankura-based corporations – M/s AJ Agrotech and M/s AJ Royal – had been additionally discovered.
“Initially both Mallick and his wife had been saying that they had no knowledge about the firms. But when the rubber stamps were found they started fumbling,” mentioned an legit.
In keeping with the ED, all of the 3 corporations had been opened in 2008 with the similar cope with, a garden ground of a residential construction on Jessore Highway at Nagerbazar in Kolkata.
On October 14, the ED had arrested businessman Bakibur Rahaman who they alleged would siphon off rice and wheat intended to be equipped to ration vendors, handiest to be offered within the distinguishable marketplace. The ED has now alleged that Rahaman has “close ties” with Mallick.
Year Mallick’s daughter and spouse had been previous related to those corporations, they’re now run by way of Rahaman and his brother-in-law. The spouse, daughter and mom of Mallick’s home assistance had been allegedly made the administrators of those corporations.
“The ED is making all baseless allegations. They would have to prove all these in the court,” mentioned Anindya Raut, Mallick’s suggest.
Profusion transactions, together with crores of money deposits, had been allegedly made via those corporations, ED has learnt.
“Between 2016 November and 2017 March, at least ₹6.3 crore and ₹3.7 crore were deposited in the accounts of Mallick’s wife and daughter from these companies,” mentioned an ED legit.
The company has additionally frozen the storagefacility accounts of Mallick, his spouse and daughter. His cell phones also are prone to be despatched for forensic research to retrieve chat and contact historical past.
The company claims to have discovered transactions of a minimum of ₹12 crore made via those corporations.
It additionally claimed that throughout interrogation, Rahaman has confessed that Mallick took loans of round ₹20 crore from those corporations, which he by no means returned.
“The ED is making some baseless allegations. They may make any allegations in the court and before the media but they won’t be able to substantiate them in the court. We are hopeful to get bail soon. The ED had registered its ECIR based on five FIRs registered between 2020 and 2022 in various police stations in Nadia district against siphoning off of government food grains. My client’s name doesn’t appear in any of the five FIRs,” mentioned Arko Bhattacharya, Rahaman’s suggest.
Bakibur was once produced prior to the court docket on Saturday upcoming 14 days of ED custody got here to an finish. He was once despatched to judicial custody until November 11.
In the meantime Amit Dey, non-public laborer of Mallick and Abhijit Das, a similar assistant of the minister, either one of whose properties had been additionally searched on Thursday, gave the impression prior to the ED for wondering on Saturday.
“A maroon-coloured diary, found from Das’ house during the search has details of several transactions. The name Balu da (as Mallick is popularly known as) was written on the diary,” mentioned an legit.
“The Who, When, Where and How Much of the @AITCofficial industry of Scams will come out as the infamous ‘Maroon Diary of Balu’ turns its pages…” Sukanta Majumdar, situation BJP president, wrote on his X maintain.
“The BJP party is on the wane in West Bengal because of their infighting. Their MPs are speaking out against their state president. Corrupt politicians join the party to evade ED and CBI probe. Out of the 303 MPs, 116 have criminal cases pending against them. This party has no right to point fingers at others,” TMC’s Santanu Sen instructed the media.
