Bengal ration distribution case: Many government seals recovered from the office of the arrested accused

Kolkata (IANS). The involvement of senior officials of the State Food and Supplies Department in the matter has been confirmed by the seizure of state government seals from the office of Bakibur Rahman, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the ration distribution irregularities case in West Bengal. Sources gave this information on Monday.

According to sources, the government seals recovered from his office include those of West Bengal Essential Commodities Supplies Corporation Limited, Chief Inspector, District Food Supply Officer and Sub-Inspector of the State Food and Supplies Department.

ED officials believe that without the active participation of a section of officials of the department, so many tickets could not have reached the office of the accused.

Meanwhile, the central agency officials have also found documents related to huge assets and properties in the name of Rehman, which include rice-mills, hotels, bars-cum-restaurants and several high-end vehicles.

Authorities have also obtained information about at least six corporate entities linked to Rehman, which investigators believe were actually shell companies meant to launder the proceeds of the scam.

Moreover, inward and outward remittances worth several crores of rupees have been detected from the accounts of these companies.

According to information available with the ED, the area of operation of the accused was mainly focused on North 24 Parganas and Nadia district.

The main charge against him was that he sold wheat and some other essential commodities allotted for fair price shops in the state in the open market.