West Bengal SSC Scam: ED attaches TMC MLA's properties worth Rs 58cr

The ED attached properties worth Rs 57.78 crore of TMC MLA Jiban Krishna Saha and middleman Prasanna Kumar Roy in the WB SSC teacher recruitment scam. The assets, including flats and land, were found to be proceeds of crime from the scam.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said it has attached immovable properties valued at Rs 57.78 crore in connection with the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (SSC) Assistant Teacher Recruitment Scam (Classes IX to XII).

The attached properties belong to Trinamool Congress MLA Jiban Krishna Saha, Prasanna Kumar Roy, the main middleman, and others. The attached properties comprise multiple residential apartments, villas, and land parcels located at Rajarhat, New Town, Patharghata, Garagari, and other adjoining areas in the North 24 Parganas district, as well as in Murshidabad and Purba Bardhaman districts, including HIDCO-developed areas of Kolkata. These assets were found to have been acquired out of the Proceeds of Crime generated through illegal appointments of Assistant Teachers in Classes IX to XII.

Kolkata zonal office attached the immovable properties under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

ED Investigation into Recruitment Scam

ED initiated an investigation on the basis of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIRs, which were registered on the directions of the Hon'ble High Court of Calcutta. ED said the investigation pertains to large-scale manipulation in the recruitment process conducted by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission, wherein OMR sheets and personality test scores were tampered with, and appointments were made after expiry of panels to accommodate undeserving candidates in lieu of illegal gratification.

Role of Middleman Prasanna Kumar Roy

ED investigation revealed that Prasanna Kumar Roy acted as the main middleman in the scam and, along with his associates, collected large sums of cash from undeserving candidates to secure illegal appointments. "The Proceeds of Crime, amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees, were laundered through a complicated network of companies, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) and bank accounts, and were ultimately utilised for the acquisition of immovable properties.

TMC MLA Jiban Krishna Saha's Involvement

ED investigation revealed that Jiban Krishna Saha, a key accused in the Assistant Teacher recruitment scam, was actively involved in the collection and handling of Proceeds of Crime obtained from undeserving candidates to secure their appointments to posts of Group C, D, and Assistant Teachers. He Jiban was arrested on August 25 last year by the ED following his attempt to run from the search premises at his home in Murshidabad.

"Investigation established that Proceeds of Crime so collected were utilised for the acquisition of immovable properties in the name of Jiban Krishna Saha and his family members, primarily located in Murshidabad and Purba Bardhaman districts of West Bengal. These properties, valued at approximately Rs 3.01 crore, were found to be acquired out of the laundered proceeds generated through the illegal recruitment process," said the ED.

Investigation also revealed that a large number of properties were acquired in the name of Nilima Mangal, a close associate and ex-wife of Prasanna Kumar Roy. The agency said its investigation established that substantial funds used to acquire these properties were sourced from illegal recruitment scams.

Earlier, ED had arrested Prasanna Kumar Roy in this case and filed a Prosecution Complaint before the Hon'ble Special Court, which has taken cognisance of the offence of money laundering.

Total Attachments and Court Order

ED has earlier attached properties worth Rs 247.2 crore in the case of Group C and D staff SSC Recruitment Scam in the State of West Bengal. In the SSC Assistant Teacher Recruitment Scam (9th to 12th), the ED had earlier attached properties worth Rs. 238.78 crore.

In another case of Primary Teachers Recruitment Scam in the State of West Bengal, ED has already attached and seized properties worth Rs 154 crore. Thus, the total attachment by ED Kolkata in the recruitment scam cases now stands at Rs 698 crore.

The apex court, in its judgment dated April 3 last year in the matter of the State of West Bengal vs Baishakhi Bhattacharyya (Chatterjee) and others, has quashed the appointments of more than 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff, holding the entire recruitment process to be vitiated and tainted. (ANI)

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