Bengal PDS case: ED taking help of IT experts to unlock seized digital devices

Kolkata: Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, probing the multi-crore ration distribution case in West Bengal, are now taking the help of information technology experts to unlock different digital devices seized during their marathon raid and search operations last week at 14 locations to retrieve the data.

Sources aware of the development said that among the digital devices seized during the last raid and search operations were a number of extremely sophisticated and high-end smartphones and some hard discs containing several files locked by passwords.

The investigating officials believe that these files and other hidden data on these seized digital devices might contain crucial evidence about the money trail in the ration distribution case and, hence accessing these devices to retrieve the data is extremely crucial, sources said.

However, since the unlocking of this digitised date requires the skills of information technology experts, ED officials are taking the help of specialized persons from the related field, they added.

The investigating officials also believe that the recovery of the data will be handy in making cases against the already accused and arrested in the case more strong and watertight.

In the last week of September, the ED submitted a supplementary charge sheet at a special court in Kolkata, where they included eight new names. Among the new names included in the supplementary charge sheet, two were Trinamool Congress leader from Deganga in North 24 Parganas district - Anisur Rahaman and his brother Alif Nur a.k.a Mukul Rahaman, a businessman.

The ED got definite clues about the Rahaman brothers having close association with the former state Food & Supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick and Kolkata-based businessman Bakibur Rahaman. The minister is currently in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in the scam.

The financial probe agency also claimed to have identified a network of at least 60 small ration dealers who were directly involved in the alleged scam and had direct links with the minister.