ED raid underway at TMC MLA Jiban Krishna Saha’s residence over Bengal school jobs scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday is conducting a raid at the home of TMC MLA Jiban Krishna Saha in West Bengal‘s Murshidabad district as part of its investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment of school teachers, PTI reported citing a senior official.

As the legislator came to know about the raid, he allegedly tried to flee his house by scaling the boundary wall of the premises, he said.

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“The MLA was chased and caught by our officers in a nearby area. Now, our officers are interrogating him,” the ED officer told PTI.

Based on information about a monetary transaction by a man from Birbhum district in connection with the alleged school teachers’ recruitment scam, the raid was conducted, he said.

“The individual from Birbhum district accompanied the ED team to Saha’s house this morning,” the officer said.

Earlier, the central investigation agency had questioned Jiban Krishna Saha’s wife in relation to the alleged school recruitment scam.

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Saha was arrested by the CBI in April 2023 for his alleged involvement in the case and was granted bail in May this year.

The ED’s laundering case is based on an FIR filed by the CBI, which was instructed by the Calcutta High Court to investigate alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ staff, assistant teachers for Classes 9 to 12, and primary school teachers.

In connection with the case, the ED previously arrested former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee, his alleged associate Arpita Mukherjee, TMC MLA and former president of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education Manik Bhattacharya, among others.

Following his arrest, Chatterjee was suspended from the TMC.

So far, the ED has filed four charge sheets in the case.