CID on Thursday quizzed former food and civil supplies minister Naren De at its Bhawani Bhavan headquarters on Thursday to find out about his alleged role in the multi-crore iron ore scam in 2004-05. De was the chairman of West Bengal Essential Commodities Supply Corporation Ltd, which reportedly exported inferior quality iron ore to a China-based firm, which was bankrupt. The export consignment was rejected but never reached Kolkata. On February 2, IAS officers Debaditya Chakraborty, the then managing director of the essential commodities services department, and RN Jamir, the director general of the food and civil supplies department, then, were arrested by CID for their alleged role. According to CID, the minister-in-charge is the chairman and the MD is the ex-officio secretary on the company's board of directors. Sources said documents in possession with CID show the decision to export ore was not an unanimous board resolution. Though the decision was taken when Kalimuddin Shams was the food minister, the export was done when De was at the helm at Khadya Bhawan. "We were trying to understand his knowledge and role in the matter," said K Jayaraman, DIG (CID-operations). The iron ore export to China was facilitated by Bharat Minmate Corporation Ltd. In fact, when De's successor Paresh Adhikari lodged the complaint (after a departmental inquiry) in 2007, the city police's detective department had arrested two of their senior officers but the subsequent chargesheet could not directly implicate those at the helm of WBECSCL or the food and civil supplies department. After Trinamool came to power CID was asked to probe the case afresh. CID officers on Thursday also quizzed De on WBECSCL's alleged largesse offer to a Singapore-based shipping firm. De, who was grilled for nearly four hours, left Bhawani Bhawan at 6pm. He has sought some time from CID to return with details. Jayaraman said, "His statements are subject to review."