Kolkata – The Enforcement Directorate (ED) says it has uncovered a deep‑cut corruption network that sold government school jobs to both eligible and ineligible applicants. The scheme was run by Trinamool Congress MLA Jiban Krishna Saha and a group of associates.
According to ED officials, Saha’s gang demanded huge payments from job seekers who wanted positions as teachers in state‑run schools. The demands ranged from ₹10 lakh to ₹16.5 lakh. Candidates who refused were threatened with cancellation of their appointment letters and, in some cases, the recruitment was delayed or stopped altogether.
The ED has taken statements from dozens of applicants who confirmed that the money went straight to Saha and his partners. The agency is now tracing the money trail, gathering mobile messages and bank records that show how the cash moved through the network at district and state levels.
Saha was first arrest in August when ED officials raided his home in Burwan, Murshidabad. He tried to escape by scaling a boundary wall, even throwing one of his phones into a bush, but was stopped before he could leave. Following a 13‑month bail granted by the Supreme Court after a 2023 CBI arrest, a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court rejected Saha’s bail plea in November, keeping him in judicial custody until November 18.
The corruption probe began after the Calcutta High Court ordered the CBI to investigate irregularities in the School Service Commission (SSC) hiring of Group C and D staff, assistant teachers for grades 9‑12, and primary teachers. The ED has filed four charge sheets and arrested other key figures, including former State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, aide Arpita Mukherjee and ex‑TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya.
Police and investigators now plan to question Saha in front of applicants, gathering more evidence on how the money laundering and job‑selling scheme operated across the state.
The case highlights ongoing efforts to clean up public service recruitment and hold powerful politicians accountable for corruption.
Source: ianslive
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