ED stated in an official release...
Kolkata, congress leader Jyoti Priya Mallick was arrested late Thursday night by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) due to connection with the alleged ration scam.
Mallick’s arrest comes a day after the Central probe agency conducted searches at the minister's residence in Salt Lake, on the outskirts of Kolkata.
"West Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick has been arrested by ED in connection with an alleged corruption in rationing distribution," ED stated in an official release.
Reacting to his arrest, while being whisked away by the ED sleuths, the minister said he was the "victim of a grave conspiracy".
The ED has been conducting searches concerning an alleged case of corruption in ration distribution.
Mallick is currently the state minister for Forest Affairs and previously held the portfolio for the Food and Civil Supplies Department.
After the ED raids, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had lashed out against the Centre’s 'misuse of government agencies' to 'unleash vendetta' and spread lies against anyone who speaks against it.
Accusing central agencies of resorting to unlawful means to 'extract names', Banerjee said she would lodge an FIR against BJP and ED if anything were to happen to Mallick, a diabetic.
Earlier this year, the ED had arrested former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee, in connection with the teachers' recruitment scam, after the recovery of huge cash from the latter's residence.
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