ED summons Rituparna Sengupta in Ration Scam case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta to appear before the agency in Kolkata on June 5. The summon has been made in connection with her alleged role in the Rs 10,000-crore ration scam in West Bengal.

Sources in the agency said, "priliminary investigation revealed that the money earned from the ration scam was used in the Tollywood (Bengali film industry). The ED officers told Rituparna Sengupta to come to the office at Nizam Palace with the details of the accounts of her films.

According to the reports, wheat and rice were supplied in less than mandated quantities to fair price shop distributors. This was reportedly done by an influential businessman called Bakibur Rahman during 2016-21, and the remaining grain was then sold in the open market for illegal profit.

Earlier on October 14, the probe agency arrested Bakibur Rahaman from his residence at Kaikhali on the outskirts of Kolkata. ED officials said that Rahaman is alleged to have close links with Forest Minister Jyotipriya Mallick who was also arrested by the Central agency on October 27. He was taken into custody after a 22-hour-long interrogation.