ED Conducts Raids, Including State Minister’s Residence, in West Bengal Recruitment Scam Probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) intensified its investigation into the alleged multi-crore school recruitment scam in West Bengal by conducting raids at multiple locations across the state, including the residence of state minister Chandranath Sinha in Birbhum district.

State minister Chandranath Sinha, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator representing Bolpur in Birbhum, was not present at his residence during the raid. Sinha, who also serves as the state MSME & textiles minister, faced scrutiny by the federal agency over his alleged involvement in the recruitment scam.

Simultaneous raids were carried out at five locations in Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, and Birbhum. The ED teams targeted the residences of a businessman and a tax consultant in Kolkata and North 24 Parganas, as part of their ongoing investigation.

The recruitment scam, which came to light in May 2022, prompted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to initiate a probe following orders from the Calcutta High Court. Allegations surfaced suggesting that appointments in state-run schools were made in exchange for financial benefits. Subsequently, the ED launched a parallel investigation to trace the money trail associated with the scam.

Former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who authorized the central agencies’ probe into the scam, recently resigned from his position and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

So far, three TMC legislators, including former education minister Partha Chatterjee, have been arrested by federal agencies in connection with the scam and are currently in judicial custody.

TMC Member of Parliament and the party’s national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, underwent questioning by both the CBI and ED in 2023 regarding the same scam. In October last year, Amit Banerjee, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s father, along with his wife Lata Banerjee, skipped the agency’s summons citing health reasons. However, Rujira Banerjee, Abhishek’s wife, cooperated with the investigators by appearing before them.

The latest raids by the ED mark a significant development in the ongoing probe into the recruitment scam, signaling a concerted effort to unravel the alleged financial irregularities and hold those involved accountable.

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