Biswas is a rice mill owner allegedly close to Mallick, the former West Bengal food minister arrested by the ED in November 2023.

As per sources, ED officials conducted searches at Biswas’s house in Basirhat and apartment in Rajarhat early Tuesday morning.

The ED is investigating if there is any connection between Biswas and the huge amount of money that has allegedly been misappropriated in the ration corruption case, sources said. Apart from interrogating Biswas, the ED is looking into his bank and business documents, sources added.

Earlier, the ED had arrested Mallick’s close aide Bakibur Rahman, a rice mill owner, from Deganga in North 24 Parganas district.

According to ED officials, ration meant for public distribution system (PDS) beneficiaries was allegedly siphoned off by flour millers in connivance with distributors and others in the supply chain. The proceeds from selling the ration in the open market were worth crores of rupees, the agency claimed. The proceeds were deposited in the bank accounts of three shell firms under the garb of bogus share premiums and commission from foodgrain trading, the agency further said. As per the ED, these companies were subsequently liquidated. These bogus firms had no real business and were used only for laundering the proceeds of crime, the central agency added.