ED Raids Bengal Ration Scam Links Days Before Phase 2 Polls
Synopsis
Just 4 days before Bengal's Phase 2 polls, the ED raided rice traders in Habra linked to jailed-then-bailed ex-Food Minister Jyotipriya Mallick over a massive PDS scam tied to 175 vehicles smuggling grain into Bangladesh. Actress-politician Nusrat Jahan has also been questioned in the same case.
Key Takeaways
ED teams escorted by CAPF launched raids at three locations in Habra, North 24 Parganas on April 25, 2025 , in connection with the PDS ration distribution scam.
The raids target rice traders Sagar Saha, Partha Saha, and Rajib Saha , all alleged close associates of former West Bengal Food Minister Jyotipriya Mallick .
Jyotipriya Mallick was previously arrested by the ED in the same PDS case; he is currently out on bail and is re-contesting the Habra Assembly seat on April 29, 2025 .
The case is linked to the seizure of 175 vehicles carrying rice and wheat being smuggled into Bangladesh via the Ghojadanga border in Basirhat , intercepted by the BSF ahead of the 2021 elections.
Former TMC Lok Sabha MP and actress Nusrat Jahan was recently questioned by the ED in connection with the same ration scam case.
The raids come just 4 days before Phase 2 of West Bengal Assembly elections , covering 142 constituencies going to polls on April 29 .
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), escorted by Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel, launched coordinated raids and search operations across multiple locations in Habra, North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, on Saturday, April 25, in connection with the high-profile Public Distribution System (PDS) ration distribution scam. The crackdown comes just four days before the crucial second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections on April 29, covering 142 constituencies. The raids target individuals closely associated with jailed-then-bailed former minister Jyotipriya Mallick.
Who Is Being Raided and Where
Multiple ED teams departed from the agency's Salt Lake office on the northern outskirts of Kolkata early Saturday morning and fanned out across Habra. The search operations are being conducted at the residences of three rice traders and rice-mill owners — Sagar Saha, Partha Saha, and Rajib Saha — all of whom are believed to be close confidants of Jyotipriya Mallick, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator from Habra Assembly constituency and former West Bengal Food and Supplies Minister.
Specifically, ED officials are searching Sagar Saha's residence at Srinagar in Habra, while Rajib Saha and Partha Saha's residences on Subhash Road, adjacent to Deshbandhu Park in Habra, are also under simultaneous scrutiny.
The PDS Scam and Ghojadanga Border Smuggling Link
The raids are directly connected to a major smuggling incident that occurred a few months before the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. At that time, Border Security Force (BSF) personnel seized 175 vehicles loaded with rice and wheat that were being illicitly transported into Bangladesh through the Ghojadanga border in Basirhat. The sheer scale of the smuggling — involving hundreds of vehicles — pointed to a highly organised racket with deep political backing.
Investigators believe the seized grain was diverted from the state's Public Distribution System, meant to feed the poor under government welfare schemes. The money trail allegedly leads back to politically connected traders, making this a case of systemic corruption at the intersection of food security and political patronage.
Jyotipriya Mallick: Arrested, Bailed, and Back on the Ballot
Jyotipriya Mallick, who served as West Bengal's Food and Supplies Minister, was previously arrested by the ED in connection with the same PDS scam and spent a considerable period in custody. He is currently out on bail. In a development that has drawn significant political attention, Mallick is once again contesting the West Bengal Assembly elections from the Habra constituency, with polling scheduled for April 29, 2025. His re-candidacy despite a pending ED case has sparked debate about accountability in Indian electoral politics.
Nusrat Jahan Also Questioned in the Same Case
The PDS scam probe has widened its net beyond traders and ministers. Nusrat Jahan, the actress-turned-politician and former Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP from Basirhat constituency in North 24 Parganas, was recently summoned and questioned by ED officials in connection with the same ration distribution case. Her questioning signals that investigators are pursuing every political and financial thread linked to the Ghojadanga smuggling network.
Political Context and Broader Implications
The timing of the raids — four days before Phase 2 polling on April 29 — has intensified political temperatures in North 24 Parganas. The TMC is likely to frame the action as political interference, while the opposition will cite it as evidence of entrenched corruption within the ruling establishment. This is not the first time the ED has conducted election-eve raids in Bengal; a pattern of enforcement action intensifying around poll cycles has been noted by political observers across multiple election cycles.
The PDS scam strikes at the heart of a welfare system that serves millions of Bengal's poorest citizens. Grain diverted from ration shops and smuggled across international borders represents a direct theft from the food security net of the most vulnerable. As the Election Commission of India monitors poll-day conduct on April 29, the outcome of this ED investigation — and Mallick's electoral fate in Habra — will be closely watched as a barometer of voter sentiment on corruption accountability in West Bengal.
Point of View
Meant for Bengal's poorest, allegedly became fuel for a cross-border smuggling racket with political cover at the highest levels. The fact that the accused ex-minister is not only out on bail but actively contesting the same constituency raises urgent questions about India's electoral accountability mechanisms. While the TMC will cry political vendetta, the 175 seized vehicles and the widening net — now ensnaring a former MP like Nusrat Jahan — suggest investigators are following a substantial evidence trail. Voters in Habra on April 29th will deliver their own verdict on whether corruption of this scale carries any democratic consequence.
NationPress
3 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ED PDS ration scam case in West Bengal?
The ED's PDS ration scam case involves the alleged diversion of government food grain — meant for distribution to the poor under the Public Distribution System — and its illegal smuggling into Bangladesh. The case came to light when BSF seized 175 vehicles loaded with rice and wheat at the Ghojadanga border in Basirhat, North 24 Parganas.
Who is Jyotipriya Mallick and why was he arrested?
Jyotipriya Mallick is a Trinamool Congress MLA from Habra and former West Bengal Food and Supplies Minister. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the PDS ration distribution scam and spent significant time in custody before being granted bail.
Why is the ED conducting raids in Habra on April 25, 2025?
The ED is raiding the residences of three rice traders — Sagar Saha, Partha Saha, and Rajib Saha — in Habra, who are allegedly close associates of Jyotipriya Mallick. The raids are linked to the PDS scam and the 2021 Ghojadanga border grain smuggling incident.
What is Nusrat Jahan's connection to the Bengal ration scam?
Nusrat Jahan, the actress-politician and former TMC Lok Sabha MP from Basirhat, was recently questioned by ED officials in connection with the same PDS ration distribution case. Her constituency of Basirhat includes the Ghojadanga border where the grain smuggling was intercepted.
How does the Bengal PDS scam affect common citizens?
The alleged diversion of PDS grain directly deprives the poorest citizens of their entitled food rations under government welfare schemes. When subsidised grain is siphoned off and smuggled abroad, it undermines India's food security infrastructure and hits the most economically vulnerable populations the hardest.
