The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Friday, raided 14 locations in West Bengal, in connection with an ongoing investigation into West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board recruitment scam.
Former education minister and senior Trinamool leader who is also a minister in the present government, Partha Chatterjee, was probed for long hours at his Kolkata home through the day. In north Bengal, minister of state, school education, Paresh Chandra Adhikary’s residence was visited. Senior officials associated with the recruitment were also probed.
The recruitment scam concerns alleged irregularities in appointments in government-supported schools, and it’s alleged that illegal recruitments involved large monetary transactions.
The agency recovered cash which is estimated to be around Rs 20 crore from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee, considered to be close to the former education minister. Over 20 mobiles were also recovered from her place.
The agency's recovery included documents, records, electronic devices, foreign currency and gold from different premises, part of the search. The directorate is investigating cases under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. On Calcutta High Court's directive, CBI is investigating the recruitment scam.
The Trinamool leadership is angry at the way the agencies have zoomed in onto its leaders. In a press interaction on the party’s behalf, party leader Chandrima Bhattacharya, also a minister in the present government, alleged that whenever Opposition forces (parties) try to talk or oppose injustice, the party that’s governing at the Centre comes confronting with all might.
Bhattacharya alleged that in West Bengal’s context, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been opposing, and this is not liked. The political vendetta is at work, the leader alleged.
Bhattacharya, however, warned that if any of party’s leader or worker suffers physically or mentally in the process (of such intensive investigations) then the party will not leave agencies out of such an eventuality, and will hold ED-CBI responsible for the same. Bhattacharya reminded that the party in the past has lost its leaders, who were an asset.