Abhishek Banerjee Questioned By ED In Bengal Teacher Recruitment Scam Probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday intensified its probe into the alleged West Bengal school recruitment scam by questioning Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee at its Kolkata office. The interrogation is linked to allegations of money laundering, financial irregularities, and illegal recruitment practices in the primary teacher appointment process. The case, which has been under investigation for several years, continues to draw major political attention in the state.

According to officials, the ED is examining suspected financial transactions and a network allegedly created to facilitate job placements in exchange for money. The agency claims that candidates who paid bribes were given preference over eligible applicants. The questioning of Banerjee comes a day after he was also questioned by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for over eight hours in a related matter involving alleged forgery of signatures connected to legislative documents.

The investigation into the recruitment scam began in 2022 after a First Information Report was filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the directions of the Calcutta High Court. The ED subsequently initiated a parallel probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, focusing on tracing the flow of illicit funds and identifying beneficiaries. Authorities are examining how money was collected, transferred, and allegedly concealed through multiple channels.

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Over the course of the investigation, the ED has made several high-profile arrests and seizures. Former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee was arrested in July 2022 after large amounts of cash and gold were recovered during raids linked to the case. Investigators have also named former minister Chandranath Sinha as an accused, alleging property acquisitions and cash deposits linked to the scam, with some assets already provisionally attached.

According to official records cited by investigators, multiple supplementary charge sheets have been filed, and several individuals, including former legislators and officials, have been named in the case. The ED has also attached assets worth hundreds of crores of rupees across related recruitment cases involving teacher and non-teaching staff appointments. These cases include separate investigations into school service commission recruitments, where irregularities have also been alleged.

In a landmark ruling last year, the Supreme Court of India upheld a Calcutta High Court decision cancelling the appointments of more than 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff, stating that the selection process was “vitiated by manipulation and fraud.” The ruling further intensified scrutiny of recruitment processes in West Bengal, while investigations by central agencies continue into the alleged financial and administrative misconduct.

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