SC seeks ED reply on former Bengal minister’s bail plea in teacher recruitment scam

New Delhi [India], October 1 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought an Enforcement Directorate response on the former West Bengal education minister and MLA Partha Chatterjee’s bail plea in a case related to cash-for-jobs recruitment irregularities.

A bench of justices, Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, asked ED to file a reply on the Chatterjee bail plea.

In July 2022, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) arrested the former West Bengal Education Minister and TMC leader Partha Chatterjee in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) teacher recruitment scam.

Chatterjee was previously lodged at the Presidency Correctional Home in May this year.

The ED had earlier recovered over Rs 21 crore cash from the house of an associate of West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee.

TMC had suspended Partha Chatterjee, arrested in the teacher recruitment scam in the state, from the party and removed him from all the party posts

Earlier, the Calcutta High Court had directed the CBI to carry out investigations into the recruitment scam of Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ staff, assistant teachers of classes IX-XII, and primary teachers. In these cases, involving the illegal appointment of non-teaching staff (Group C & D), teaching staff.

ED is investigating cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).