ED attaches ₹27 crore in WB school recruitment scam; total now over ₹636 crore

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached properties worth ₹27.19 crore in connection with the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam, taking the total value of assets attached in the case to ₹636.88 crore.

“Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Kolkata Zonal Office has provisionally attached movable & immovable properties amounting to ₹27.19 crore in the West Bengal Central SSC (Group C & D staff) Recruitment Scam of West Bengal held in the name of three tea estates of Prasanna Kumar Roy namely M/s Samsing Organic Tea Private Limited, M/s Yangtong Organic Tea Private Limited & M/s Bamandanga Tea Estate Private Limited,” the ED stated in a release issued on the evening of June 24.

The central agency is investigating the illegal appointment of Group C and D employees and the financial irregularities in what it described as the “unfair” recruitment of both teaching and non-teaching staff. The probe is looking into appointments allegedly made in criminal conspiracy by several individuals.

Earlier, the ED had attached assets worth ₹219.91 crore in the same case linked to the 2016 SSC panel for Group C and D recruitment.

Prasanna Kumar Roy and his associate Chandan Mondal — reportedly a key agent in collecting money and candidate details — are both in judicial custody at present.

“In a related case of Assistant Teacher Recruitment Scam (SSC Asst. Teachers 9th to 12th), the ED has earlier attached properties worth ₹238.78 crore. In another case of Primary Teachers Recruitment Scam in the State of West Bengal, ED has already attached/seized properties worth ₹151 crore. The total attachment by ED Kolkata in the recruitment scam cases now stands at ₹636.88 crore,” the release added.

The alleged scam came to light in July 2022, following the arrest of former State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee. The ED had recovered cash, jewellery, and immovable property worth ₹103.10 crore linked to the duo.

Subsequent investigations have led to the arrest of several individuals, including officials of the State Education Department, political figures associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress, and middlemen.

Protests continue

Protests erupted across Kolkata on Wednesday. The All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), affiliated with the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI), held a demonstration outside the District Inspector of Schools office in the city’s Kasba area, where protestors clashed with police personnel. The group held the State government responsible for the “falling apart” education system.

Outside Bikash Bhawan — the headquarters of the West Bengal Education Department — Group C and D non-teaching staff also staged a protest, demanding the publication of separate lists of ‘tainted’ and ‘untainted’ appointees.

“No allegations of corruption have been proved against us. The government should say that in court and accept their mistake and reinstate our jobs with the respect and dignity we deserve. We have not received any salary for the past three months. How will we survive?” Sujay Sardar, one of the protest leaders, told The Hindu.

Mr. Sardar added that a group of 10 representatives from the protest had entered Bikash Bhawan on Wednesday evening to meet the SSC Chairman. The next course of action would be determined based on the outcome of that meeting, he said.

After the meeting with the SSC Chairman, one of the protesting non-teaching staff members said no concrete assurances were given.

“They claimed to have submitted a list of tainted and untainted non-teaching staff to the government, but it has not yet been made accessible to us or to the public,” Amit Mondal said after the meeting.