WB recruitment scam: ED raids 13 premises; cash stash seized from Partha Chatterjee's aide

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday carried out search operations at various premises in West Bengal linked to the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff in government schools. Operations took place in at least 13 locations in the state, including the residence of Partha Chatterjee, state industry and commerce minister, in south Kolkata.

Also, residence of Minister of State for Education Paresh C Adhikary, MLA Manik Bhattacharya, and ex-president of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, were also searched. 

The other names are Arpita Mukherjee, a close associate of Shri Partha Chatterjee; PK Bandopadhyay, OSD to the then MIC of Education, Sukanta Acharjee, PS to the then MIC of Education; Chandan Mondal, Agent in selling jobs of teachers; Kalyanmay Bhattacharya, son-in-law of Partha Bhattacharya; Krishna C Adhikary, Relative of Kalyanmay Bhattacharya; Dr SP Sinha, Advisor of the West Bengal Central School Service Commission – Convenor of the 5-member committee; Kalyanmoy Ganguly, ex-president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education; Saumitra Sarkar, ex-president of the West Bengal Central School Service Commission; and Alok Kumar Sarkar, Deputy Director, School Education Department.

ED recovers cash stash 

During the course of searches, the ED recovered a packet with Ministry insignia and huge cash amounting to approximately Rs 20 crore from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee, who is a close associate of Shri Partha Chatterjee. The said amount is suspected to be proceeds of crime of said SSC Scam. 

The search team is taking the assistance of bank officials for the counting of cash through cash counting machines. A total of more than 20 mobile phones have also been recovered from the premises of Arpita Mukherjee, the purpose and use of which are being ascertained.

Further, a number of other incriminating documents, records, and details of dubious companies, electronic devices, foreign currency and gold have also been recovered from the various premises of the persons linked to the scam. 

It is noteworthy to note that the Hon’ble High Court of Calcutta in a slew of writ petitions had recently directed the CBI to carry out investigations into the recruitment scam of Group ‘C’ & ‘D’ staff, Assistant Teachers of classes IX-XII and primary teachers.

Involving the illegal appointment of non-teaching staff (Group C & D), teaching staff [Assistant teachers (Class IX-XII) and teachers in Primary school, ED is investigating these cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).