Jyoti Priya Mallick's former personal assistant, Abhijit Das, said on Monday that his mother and wife were made directors of three companies at the behest of the former food and civil supplies minister arrested in connection with alleged irregularities in Bengal's public distribution system.
The three companies, two of which were set up on March 6, 2008, and the third, five days later on March 11, share the same address — Bhagawati Colony on Jessore Road in Dum Dum, North 24-Parganas, where Mallick was the Trinamul's district president.
Senior officers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said the three companies were used to park "proceeds of crime" from the alleged irregularities in the ration distribution system.
Bakibur Rahman, the Calcutta-based businessman earlier arrested for his alleged involvement in the case, has said he offered loans to the tune of several crores from these companies to the arrested minister, who never returned the amount, officers added.
Das said his mother Mamata and wife Sukanya were made directors of these companies but they resigned at the end of his tenure as Mallick's PA, within three years of his joining in 2011.
"Montri jokhon nirddesh dyan tokhon toh korteyi hoy (When the minister orders it has to be followed)," Das told journalists when asked how they were made directors of these companies that are now under the ED's scanner.
"My mother and wife resigned soon after I left the job. I was unaware of the transactions of these three companies," Das said.
Documents with the registrar of companies reveal two of these companies are "under liquidation", and the third, "dissolved," ED officers said.
Mallick's wife Manidipa and his daughter Priyadarshini were made directors of these three companies, whose names continued to change from time to time, the officers added.
The ED produced Mallick in Bankshall court on Monday. The court ordered him in ED's custody till November 13.
"Saath din baade abar aaschhi (I will return after seven days)," Mallick said on his way out of court.
