Enforcement Directorate Unearths Stash of Cash in West Bengal\'s Ration Scam

KOLKATA: After unearthing a mountain of cash in the West Bengal government school teachers' jobs scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recovered heaps of cash in the ration scam also.

According to ED sources, the central agency seized around ₹18.40 crores of cash from various places and blew the lid of two shell companies in the state after arresting state forest minister Jyotipriyo Mullick in the case.

Out of the amount, ₹1 crore were seized from the premises of Ankit India Limited, a private company on AJC Bose Road in South Kolkata, sources said.

The firm has a factory of wheat products in Howrah where the ED raided on November 4 and 5. Another ₹40 lakhs were recovered from other parts of the city during searches in the last three days.

Besides, ₹16.80 crores were unearthed from two shell companies, linked to each other, in Bankura, sources revealed adding that the two firms are AJ Agrotech and AJ Royal.

The ED came across these two companies' names while questioning a suspect who disclosed that these were allegedly opened on the instructions of Mr Mullick's chartered accountant to turn black money into white.