West Bengal SSC scam: ED seizes Rs 20 crore after raids on TMC leader Partha Chatterjee’s close aide

New Delhi: Intensifying its ongoing probe into the West Bengal School Service Commission (WB-SSC) and West Bengal Primary Education Board teacher recruitment scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out search operations at various locations in connection with the case and seized Rs 20 crore during the operation.

The central agency conducted searches at the premise of a close associate of TMC leader and West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee and some others. The Enforcement Directorate issued a statement in which it said that it has seized Rs 20 crore in cash after raids on the premises of Arpita Mukherjee, a close associate of Partha Chatterjee, in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam in the state.

During the course of searches, the agency recovered huge cash amounting to approximately Rs 20 crores from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee, who is a close associate of Partha Chatterjee,’’ the ED said.

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/oM4Bc0XTMB

— ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2022

"The said amount is suspected to be proceeds of crime of the said SSC scam," it further said in a statement. The search teams are taking the assistance of bank officials for the counting of cash through counting machines, reported ANI.

More than 20 mobile phones have also been recovered from the premises of Arpita Mukherjee, the purpose and use of which are being ascertained, it said. Apart from Chatterjee, it raided Minister of State for Education Paresh C Adhikary, MLA Manik Bhattacharya and others.

Partha Chatterjee, who is presently the Minister for Industries and Commerce, was the education minister when the alleged illegal appointments were made in government-run and aided schools by West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). 

Meanwhile, West Bengal's ruling party Trinamool Congress has reacted sharply to the ED raids and called it a witch-hunt by the BJP-led central government against Mamata Banerjee's ministers and senior party leaders.