On Saturday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) searched nine premises in West Bengal as part of an investigation into a ₹20,000 crore money laundering case linked to the Public Distribution System (PDS). The searches took place in Kolkata, Burdwan, and North 24 Parganas, targeting suppliers and exporters involved in the alleged diversion of food grains into the open market. The case began with an FIR filed on October 23, 2020, by a customs officer, alleging that large quantities of food grains were illegally procured and sold at higher prices. The investigation revealed that gunny bags marked by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the state government were tampered with to disguise the origins of the grains. Jyoti Priya Mallick, a senior leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and former food minister, was arrested in October 2023 but was granted bail in January 2025. Amid the ongoing assembly elections, TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee defended Mallick, claiming his arrest was politically motivated and without evidence. The first phase of the assembly polls took place on April 23, with the remaining seats set to vote on April 29.