ED Arrests TMC MLA in West Bengal School Jobs Scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Jiban Krishna Saha on Monday following raids at his Murshidabad residence, as part of a probe into alleged irregularities in West Bengal’s school recruitment process, official sources confirmed. Saha, representing Burwan Assembly, attempted to flee by scaling a wall and threw two mobile phones into a nearby pond, which were later recovered for forensic examination, per Telegraph India.

The ED, acting under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), cited Saha’s non-cooperation during searches that also targeted his relatives’ properties in Raghunathganj and his personal assistant’s residence in Birbhum. Videos circulating on X showed a drenched Saha, apprehended in a muddy field by ED and CRPF officials, highlighting the dramatic arrest.

Saha was previously arrested by the CBI in April 2023 for his alleged role in the scam and released on bail in May 2025. The ED’s case stems from a CBI FIR, ordered by the Calcutta High Court, investigating irregularities in hiring Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ staff, assistant teachers for Classes 9-12, and primary teachers. The agency has filed four charge sheets, previously arresting former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, his associate Arpita Mukherjee, and TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya, among others. Chatterjee was suspended by TMC post-arrest.

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The raids were triggered by evidence of a monetary transaction linked to a Birbhum individual, who accompanied the ED to Saha’s residence. The case, tied to alleged money laundering in school recruitments, continues to roil West Bengal’s political landscape, with TMC facing scrutiny over systemic corruption.

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