Thu Jan 16 06:29:14 UTC 2025: ## Former West Bengal Minister Granted Bail in Ration Scam Case

**Kolkata, January 16, 2025** – Jyotipriya Mallick, a former Trinamool Congress Minister in West Bengal, was granted bail on Wednesday by a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kolkata. Mr. Mallick, arrested in October 2023 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a massive ration distribution scam, was released after posting a personal bond of ₹50 lakh and two sureties of ₹25,000 each.

The ED alleges the scam, involving the siphoning off and illegal sale of food grains meant for public distribution, amounts to ₹9,000-₹10,000 crore, with ₹2,000 crore allegedly transferred to Dubai, possibly via Bangladesh. Mr. Mallick, who served as the Minister of Food and Supplies during the alleged scam, was arrested while serving as the Minister of State for Forests.

A charge sheet was filed against Mr. Mallick and others, including rice mill owner Bakibur Rahaman and former Bongaon Municipality chairman Shankar Adya (both granted bail in August 2024), on December 12, 2023. The ED argued against bail, citing Mr. Mallick’s key role in the scam, while his lawyers emphasized his deteriorating health. His release marks the end of a 14-month imprisonment.

Mr. Mallick’s arrest, following that of former Minister Partha Chatterjee in a separate school recruitment scam in July 2022, sparked a significant political controversy in West Bengal. While Mr. Mallick has been released on bail, Mr. Chatterjee remains in custody.

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