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Bengal businessman’s properties under ED scanner; Opposition alleges ration scam
Businessman Bakibur Rahaman was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate from his home at Kaikhali on the eastern outskirts of Kolkata in the early hours of Saturday
West Bengal’s opposition parties have alleged that businessman Bakibur Rahaman, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the early hours of Saturday, is involved in a “big scam” in the state food department.
Rahaman was arrested from his home at Kaikhali on the eastern outskirts of Kolkata after ED carried out search operations for three days at around a dozen locations in Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts.
The locations included rice and flour mills, a three-star hotel and a bar owned by Rahaman, ED officials said. The federal agency officials also found a fleet of super-luxury cars such as Porsche and BMW during the raids.
A Kolkata court remanded Rahaman in the ED’s custody till Monday.
“The suspect has been facing a probe by the Income Tax department since last year. He invested in businesses in other states as well,” an ED official said on condition of anonymity.
Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that Rahaman was operating with help from senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and ministers.
“Rahaman is a key player in siphoning of food grains. This scam reached a new height during the Covid-19 pandemic. Food grains were stolen even from the quota allotted for mid-day meals served to school children. Ruling party leaders and ministers are involved in the scam,” Chowdhury said at a press conference on Sunday.
When the ED raided Rahaman’s properties, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged that he enjoyed the patronage of a senior minister. “Hundreds of photographs and videos of the two together are available on social media,” Adhikari said.
Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, “Rahaman is a classic example of institutionalisation of corruption during the TMC regime. We demand a speedy investigation.”
TMC state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar did not defend Rahaman but said getting rich cannot be considered a crime.
“Our party does not tolerate any corruption. Rahaman is a businessman. If he is found guilty of committing any crime then he will surely face the consequences but becoming rich cannot be called a crime. The nation knows that the fortunes of Union home minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah multiplied astronomically after the BJP came to power at the Centre,” Majumdar said.
