Kolkata: A Special PMLA Court here on Wednesday denied bail to former West Bengal Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution case in the state, after accepting the arguments submitted by the counsel of Enforcement Directorate about the possibilities of the ex-minister influencing the investigation process if granted bail.
When the judge of the special court questioned how Mallick, who is not a minister anymore, would be able to influence the investigation process, the ED counsel claimed that even as he is not a “king” anymore, the former minister is surely still a “kingmaker”.
“He is still politically influential. At times, kingmakers are more powerful than kings. They are so powerful… so if the bail is granted to the former minister there are chances of the investigation process being influenced,” argued the ED counsel.
The ED counsel also claimed that most of the others arrested in the ration distribution case have named the former minister as the “main brain” behind the entire scam.
Finally, the judge of the special court accepted the argument of the ED counsel and denied bail. The next hearing in the matter will be on December 21.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the counsel of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) too described the former West Bengal education minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee as the “kingmaker” in the multi-crore cash for school job case in the state.
The CBI counsel made this observation while opposing the bail plea by Chatterjee at Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty.
ED officials have recently started the process of arranging for questioning of some Dubai-based Indians to have a clearer picture of the proceeds in the multi-crore ration distribution case in West Bengal being invested in real estate there and the investing officers have already sought the assistance of the External Affairs Ministry in the matter.
(IANS)
