The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches in the office of arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA and former West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) President Manik Bhattacharya in connection with the alleged teachers' recruitment scam (SSC scam) in West Bengal, news agency ANI reported.
The ED had arrested Manik Bhattacharya, in connection with the multi-crore WBSSC recruitment irregularities scam on Tuesday.
The ED claims he was involved in "irregularities" in the so-called teacher recruitment scam and that he evaded repeated summonses from the ED for several months, reported National Herald.
Bhattacharya appeared before the Special Court (PMLA) in Kolkata on October 11 and was remanded to ED custody for 14 days until October 25.
The MLA initially refused to sign the arrest warrant, claiming that he had received interim "protection" from the Supreme Court from being arrested by the CBI; he had been interrogated by the CBI last month.
As ordered by the Calcutta High Court, the ED and the CBI are currently investigating an alleged multi-crore money laundering scam involving the recruitment of teachers for state-sponsored schools in West Bengal.
On July 23, the ED arrested Partha Chatterjee, a state government minister at the time, and his close associate Arpita Mukherjee.
Partha Chatterjee, Arpita Mukherjee, Echhay Entertainment Pvt Ltd, Ananta Texfab Pvt Ltd, Symbiosis Merchants Pvt Ltd, Sentry Engineering Pvt Ltd, Viewmore Highrise Pvt Ltd, and APA Utility Services are among the eight accused in the case.
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On September 19, 2022, the special court took cognizance of the prosecution complaint after determining that a prima facie case had been made out against the eight accused persons.
In the case, the ED has already seized cash worth Rs. 49.80 crore, gold and jewellery worth more than Rs. 5.08 crore, and provisionally attached properties worth Rs. 48.22 crore, bringing the total seizure/attachment to Rs. 103.10 crore, Live Mint reported.
(With Inputs From Agencies)