WB SSC recruitment scam: Arrested leader Partha Chatterjee suspended from TMC

The West Bengal government on Thursday removed Partha Chatterjee, who was recently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a school jobs scam, from the ministry with immediate effect.

Arrested TMC leader Partha Chatterjee will remain suspended from the party till the investigation into a school recruitment scam is underway, the party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said on Thursday. Chatterjee has been removed from all party posts, he said.

Following a meeting of the party's disciplinary committee, Banerjee said that doors of TMC would be opened for Chatterjee only if he is proven innocent. Chatterjee was TMC's secretary general for nearly two decades and was appointed the party's national vice-president earlier this year.

"It has been decided that Partha Chatterjee will be removed from all party posts. He will remain suspended from the party till the investigation is over. We demand that the investigation be completed within a limited time frame.TMC will not support anyone found to be involved in corruption," Banerjee said.

Earlier in the day, Chatterjee was removed as minister from the West Bengal cabinet. The ED arrested Chatterjee on July 23 in connection with its investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment drive by School Service Commission (SSC).

The central agency has also arrested Chatterjee's close associate Arpita Mukherjee, and seized crores of rupees in cash from her residences in different parts of the city.

The ED had arrested Chatterjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress secretary-general, on July 23 in connection with its investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment drives by the School Service Commission (SSC).

The central agency has also arrested Chatterjee's close associate Arpita Mukherjee, and seized crores of rupees from her houses in different parts of the city.

(With inputs from PTI)