Forest minister arrested in ration distribution scam in West Bengal Former Food Minister Jyotipriya Mallik (Former Food Minister Jyotipriya Mallik, Currently in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). ED is ascertaining the facts related to the properties not only of the minister and his family members but also of the employees and close relatives of Mallik. Ram Swaroop Sharma, an employee of the minister, is also under the scanner of ED. ED officials have once again interrogated him. He reached the ED office at CGO Complex in Salt Lake on Saturday, where he was cross-examined about many facts related to the case. According to sources, the Central Investigation Agency has come to know that Ram Swaroop Sharma, an employee of Minister Mallik, had received about Rs 20 lakh to buy a flat in Keshtopur. This amount was given by the minister.
Ramswaroop used to run a salon on the footpath in College Street.
Ramswaroop, who came to Kolkata from Bihar, earlier used to run a salon on the footpath in the College Street area here. Mallik’s ancestral residence is in Amherst Street. From there he was introduced to Mallik. He started working as an employee in their house. It has also been revealed that Ram Swaroop is the director of one of the private companies which are under investigation by ED. During interrogation he claimed that he did not know about any company. Speaking to reporters outside the central probe agency’s office after being interrogated by ED officials, Sharma said that some people had got him to sign the white pages in the name of his ‘saheb’ (minister).
ED also interrogated about eight ration dealers
He doesn’t know about any company. However, ED is investigating the statement given by him. On the same day, ED has also interrogated about eight ration dealers. All of them are said to be residents of North 24 Parganas and Nadia. Actually, there are more than 10 companies under the investigation of ED, which are considered to be shell companies. Three companies are registered at the Howrah address of the minister’s former PA Abhijit Das. It is being told that Das’s mother Mamta and wife Sukanya were directors of two of the three companies used for money laundering. Two of the three companies are said to be Shree Hanuman Realcon and Gracious Innovative Private Limited. He himself was the director of a company owned by the minister’s daughter Priyadarshini and wife Manideepa. However, the minister’s family members have denied being associated with any such company.