West Bengal SSC scam: ED arrests Partha Chatterjee from Kolkata

National

Partha Chatterjee, a former West Bengal Education Minister, was detained on Saturday by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board recruitment fraud.

His close colleague Arpita Mukherjee’s home was raided by federal investigation agency, which resulted in the seizure of Rs 20 crore in cash in relation to an alleged teacher recruitment fraud in the state. At Chatterjee’s home in Kolkata, the arrests were made. Since yesterday, ED team has been present.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) agents raided Partha Chatterjee, Paresh Adhikari, and other Bengal ministers’ homes earlier on Friday. They also found a large quantity of cash—roughly Rs 20 crore—in the home of Partha Chatterjee’s close friend Arpita Mukherjee.

The aforementioned sum is thought to be the revenues of the aforementioned SSC fraud. When counting cash using cash counting machines, the search crew is assisted by bank employees.

The purpose and usage of a total of more than 20 mobile phones that were found inside Arpita Mukherjee’s home are now being determined, according to investigation agency.

Along with cash, several additional damning documents, records, information about shady businesses, technological gadgets, foreign money, and gold have also been found at the different locations where the scammers were staying.

It is interesting to note that the High Court of Calcutta recently ordered CBI to conduct investigations into the fraudulent hiring of Group “C” and “D” employees, Assistant Teachers of classes IX–XII, and elementary teachers in response to a flurry of writ petitions.

Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 2002 (PMLA) is being used by ED to investigate these instances involving illegitimate hiring of non-teaching employees (Group C & D) and teaching staff [assistant teachers (Class IX-XII) and teachers in primary school].