Bengal teacher recruitment scam: Minister Partha Chatterjee arrested by ED

West Bengal Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee was on Saturday (July 23) arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kolkata in connection with the teacher recruitment case.

Last night, officials of the ED interrogated Chatterjee.

Also read: BJP misusing central agencies, law will take own course: Mamata amid SSC row

The agency sleuths, who started the interrogation at the residence of the minister at 8 AM on Friday, later arrested him.

ED officials have recovered ₹21 crore in cash from one of the properties of Chatterjee’s close associate Arpita Mukherjee in south Kolkata.

She was also detained on Saturday.

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari tweeted, “Rs. 20 crore cash recovered by @dir_ed from the residence of Arpita Mukherjee; close aide of WB Education Minister Partha Chatterjee in the SSC scam case. Sources claim that piles of cash were found inside WB Govt Education Ministry envelopes with National Emblem printed on them.”

Rs. 20 crore cash recovered by @dir_ed from the residence of Arpita Mukherjee; close aide of WB Education Minister Partha Chatterjee in the SSC scam case.
Sources claim that piles of cash were found inside WB Govt Education Ministry envelopes with
National Emblem printed on them. pic.twitter.com/xLsWQeVzL2

— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) July 22, 2022

Also read: Bengal Cabinet approves CM as chancellor of state universities replacing guv

Chatterjee was the state education minister when the scam took place and ED is probing the money laundering aspect of those allegedly involved in it.

In May, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the BJP-led central government for misusing federal agencies for settling political scores.

She also claimed that there were many discrepancies in government recruitment during the erstwhile Left Front regime in the state.

“The BJP is running a Tughlaqi regime (referring to 14th-century Muslim ruler of Delhi Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq) in the country and is trying to divide the nation. They are controlling central agencies and using those to settle political scores,” she said.

“A lot of things are being said about discrepancies in recruitment. If someone has committed any wrong, then the law will take its own course. But, this vilification campaign should stop. During the Left regime, jobs were given by writing down names on pieces of paper. I will reveal the irregularities soon,” she added.

ED is carrying out search operations at various premises linked to recruitment scam in the West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board. pic.twitter.com/i4dP2SAeGG

— ED (@dir_ed) July 22, 2022