After Daylong Raid, ED Arrests Another TMC Leader In Bengal Ration Scam Case

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested another Trinamool Congress leader, Shankar Adhya, in the alleged ration scam in West Bengal.

He is considered close to former food minister and current forest minister Jyotipriyo Mallick, who was arrested by the central agency earlier.

According to reports, Adhya was picked up by ED officials on Friday midnight after a daylong raid during which incriminating documents were seized from his residence in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. He was the municipal chairman at Bangaon municipality from 2015 to 2020. Currently, he is a member of TMC district advisory committee.

The probe agency said that nearly 30 per cent of the Public Distribution System (PDS) ration meant for beneficiaries in West Bengal was diverted to the open market.

On Thursday night, ED officials came under attack in in Sandeshkhali while they were on their way to raid the homes of Adhya and Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjahan in connection with the ration case. “ED team with CRPF personnel was attacked by 800-1,000 people with an intention to cause death as these people were carrying weapons such as lathis, stones and bricks,” the agency said in a statement.

Sheikh Shahjahan is the fisheries and animal resources officer of North 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad as well as Block President of Sandeshkhali 1, reports added.