The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee as part of its investigation into the alleged teachers recruitment scam in the state.
The arrest came after Chatterjee was questioned for 26 hours by ED. Raids were also carried out at multiple locations, and one such raid at a property of Arpita Mukherjee —a close aide of Chatterjee— led to the recovery of over Rs 20 crore in cash. Mukherjee has also been detained.
Chatterjee was the state education minister when the alleged scam took place. The ED is investigating the money laundering aspect of the scam.
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Here we explain the scam, the ongoing involvement, the case of ED, and its politics.
What's teachers recruitment scam?
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group-C and -D staff and teachers in state-sponsored and aided schools. The ED is looking into the money laundering aspects of the cases.
These alleged irregularities took place when Partha Chatterjee was the state education minister during 2014-21.
The notification for the appointment of teachers through State Level Selection Test (SLST) was issued in 2014 and the recruitment began in 2016. However, petitions began to be filed against anomolies in the process.
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The Indian Express reported, "The petitioners alleged that many examinees who got less marks ranked high in the merit list. There were also allegations that some applicants, who weren’t even in the merit list, received appointment letters."
In a second but related case, the West Bengal government in 2016 issued a notification to the School Service Commission (SSC) to recruit 13,000 Group-D employees for state-run or -aided schools, according to The Express. It added that the panel making the appointments had expired in 2019, but at least 25 persons were allegedly appointed by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
The Express further reported, "The petitioners had initially produced before the court a list of 25 such appointees who were illegally recruited. Later they claimed that more than 500 additional such appointments were made."
The CBI has in its investigation alleged that question papers and answer keys were designed dubiously to deprive eligible candidates, according to India Today.
"It is further alleged some of the TET-fail [Teacher Eligibility Test-fail] and/or ineligible candidates of TET 2014 got appointments as Assistant teachers in primary schools. A number of ineligible candidates who did not answer the question by answering the MCQ and submitted blank exam papers only mentioning their personal details got appointments as Assistant Teachers," reported India Today.
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ED investigations, findings so far
While the CBI is looking into the criminal aspects of the case, the ED is looking into the money laundering case.
"ED is carrying out search operations at various premises linked to recruitment scam in the West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board," said ED in a tweet on Friday with photographs of cash recovered in raids.
NDTV quoted ED as saying that Rs 20 crore recovered at Mukherjee's property is "suspected to be proceeds of crime of the said SSC scam".
NDTV further reported, "The ED has also conducted raids on Minister of State for Education Paresh Adhikary and MLA Manik Bhattacharya in connection with the alleged scam. Paresh Adhikaryi had also been interrogated by the CBI with his daughter losing her job as school teacher."
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Who is Arpita Mukherjee?
The internet reacted in shock and awe when photographs of piles of cash recovered at Arpita Mukherjee's property surfaced.
Total recovery from Mukherjee's property made by ED till 1 pm Saturday stood at Rs 21.20 crore, jewellery worth more than Rs 50 lakh, foreign currency worth Rs 54 lakh, and 22 mobiles, according to The New Indian.
Mukherjee is an actor and a model. She has been associated with Chatterjee's campaigns, according to reports.
The Express reported that Mukherjee has done some minor roles in Bengali, Odia, and Tamil films.
The Express quoted sources as saying that Mukherjee met Chatterjee nearly a decade ago through his Durga Puja committee called the Naktala Udayan Sangha, which is one of the biggest Durga Puja committees in Kolkata.
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"Arpita has been the face of the promotional campaigns of the Naktala Udayan Sangha in recent years. Her image has featured extensively in the advertisements of Chatterjee’s committee during Durga Puja," said The Express report.
Besides cash, sources also told The Express that Mukherjee has several flats in Kolkata and its suburbs.
The cash recovered at Mukherjee's place was so much that a truck-full of steel chests were brought in to transfer it.
Partha Chatterjee is a top leader, TMC on back foot
Partha Chatterjee is number three in the Trinamool Congress (TMC), with party supremo Mamata Banerjee being number one and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee being number two.
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Besides holding key portfolios, Chatterjee is also a key figure in TMC election machinery.
The Express reported, "Chatterjee has been Mamata's 'go to' leader when it comes to dealing with the Bengal organisational affairs. From the constitution of the TMC district committees to working out election strategies, Chatterjee plays an important role in the entire spectrum of organisational matters."
Chatterjee faces corruption charges for having allegedly ensured in exchange for money jobs for candidates with lower marks rather than those making it to the merit lists, reports The Express.
Despite Chatterjee's centrality to TMC and Mamata's election victories, the party appears to have distanced itself from Chatterjee's arrest. The reason would not be ED or CBI pursuit of Chatterjee but the recovery of Rs 20 crore from Mukherjee's place.
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CNN-News 18 reported, "It could have used this opportunity to bolster its allegation of the BJP using central agencies for political vendetta, but the alleged seizure of Rs 20 crore in cash from the premises of a close aide of West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee has pushed the Trinamool Congress on the back foot."
It also noted that Chatterjee's arrest and recovery of Rs 20 crore comes as an embarrassment to TMC at a time when it's not just taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party but is also carving a greater role within the Opposition by challenging the traditional Congress leadership and carving its own way.
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(With inputs from PTI)
