What is Bengal’s SSC scam? How did Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee come under ED’s target?

West Bengal SSC Scam: The ED team is continuously investigating the teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal. State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has removed Partha Chatterjee from the post of minister. Both Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee are currently in ED custody. Arpita has revealed the secret in front of the ED that all the money recovered belongs to Partha Chatterjee. According to the ED, more than 50 crore cash and jewelery have been recovered from two flats of Arpita. It is being said that these cash recovered in huge quantity are related to teacher recruitment scam.

Sukant Acharya, who was the personal secretary of Partha Chatterjee, is also on the radar of the Enforcement Directorate. At the same time, the name of a female professor, Monalisa Das, is also in discussion. The ED team is constantly engaged in conducting searches at different places.

What is Bengal’s SSC scam?

In West Bengal in the year 2016, the examination was conducted by the School Service Commission (SSC) for the recruitment of 13,000 teaching and non-teaching staff under the state’s Board of Secondary Education. The merit list was prepared after the results were declared on 27 November 2017. In this, Babita Sarkar of Siliguri was included in the top 20 with 77 marks. Later the commission canceled this merit list and made another list. In this, Babita’s name was put in waiting. The name of Ankita, the daughter of a TMC minister who got low marks, came first in the list and she also got a job. After this the scam slowly started getting exposed. Babita challenged this merit list in the High Court.

High Court had ordered CBI inquiry

After a long hearing, the court had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd) Ranjit Kumar Bagh to investigate the matter. It was recommended to run a case against many officers. The High Court had ordered a CBI inquiry in this. During that time, TMC minister Paresh Adhikari was also questioned. The Kolkata High Court termed Ankita’s appointment as illegal and ordered to recover the salary and then Babita Sarkar was given a job in her place. After the matter of financial transactions in this scam came to the fore, the ED took up the task of investigation.

How did Partha Chatterjee and Arpita come under attack?

The ED started investigation in May regarding the scam in teacher recruitment. On July 22, the investigating agency raided several places of Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee. During this time papers of Arpita Mukherjee’s property were found. When Partha Chatterjee was questioned about this, he kept refusing to say anything. The ED raided the house of Arpita, a close aide of the minister, and recovered around Rs 21 crore. During this, 20 phones and many documents were also recovered. Arpita’s other hideout was raided on Wednesday where about Rs 27 crore was seized.

Arpita Mukherjee reveals secrets

In the investigation of the West Bengal teacher recruitment scam, the ED team is continuously investigating. On Thursday, ED sources had told that Arpita Mukherjee had made a big disclosure during interrogation. Arpita has said that the money confiscated from her house belongs to West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee. Arpita claims that only Partha Chatterjee’s people used to collect money here. He was not allowed to enter that room. He has declared himself innocent.