Kolkata/IBNS: The probe into the teacher recruitment scam intensified ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raiding former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee’s residence on Saturday, media reports said.
What happened?
A team of ED officials reached Chatterjee’s residence in Naktala early in the day.
The area was heavily secured, with central forces deployed in large numbers, effectively turning the locality into a fortress.
Chatterjee’s arrest in SSC scam
Chatterjee was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2022 in connection with the School Service Commission scam.
He was granted bail last year.
His close aide Arpita Mukherjee was also arrested in 2022 after crores of rupees, allegedly linked to the scam, were recovered from her residence.
The CBI had described Chatterjee as the “mastermind” behind the corruption that rocked state politics.
Why is the fresh raid significant?
The latest ED action is expected to bring the spotlight back on the SSC scam, a major political issue ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
The Supreme Court of India’s decision to cancel around 26,000 jobs over corruption allegations has triggered widespread anger against the ruling Trinamool Congress and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
At a recent rally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised strict action against those involved in corruption if the Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power in the state.