ED Seizes Assets in West Bengal Teachers’ Recruitment Scam Totaling More Than Rs 15 Crore

In connection with the alleged fraud involving the recruitment of West Bengal school teachers, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has announced the attachment of assets totaling more than Rs 15 crore. The key suspects in the money laundering investigation are expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) youth wing leaders Kuntal Ghosh and Santanu Banerjee, along with another person.

The linked assets, according to the ED, consist of bank accounts, stocks, mutual funds, apartments, and land. According to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, these properties have been temporarily attached. The associated assets are estimated to be worth a total of Rs. 15.03 crore.

The ED asserts that Ghosh, Banerjee, and Ayan Sil, who are accused, served as agents in the unlawful collecting of money from aspirants for primary teaching posts. According to rumors, Ayan Sil works with Santanu Banerjee.

Several other well-known individuals have also been detained in the case, in addition to Ghosh and Banerjee. Partha Chatterjee, a former TMC leader and the minister of education for West Bengal, his accused partner Arpita Mukherjee, Manik Bhattacharya, a TMC lawmaker, and Sujay Krishna Bhadra, who is said to be connected to the TMC leadership, are also seized. Following his detention by the ED, Partha Chatterjee was also placed on administrative leave by the TMC.

In addition, a special court in Kolkata sentenced Souvik Bhattacharya and Satarupa Bhattacharya to judicial detention after the ED filed a chargesheet against them.

The ED has so far filed four charge sheets in the matter, and assets worth a total of Rs 126.70 crore have been seized and attached.