ED raids TMC MLA Jiban Krishna Saha, kin in Bengal teacher recruitment scam probe

The legislator from Murshidabad, earlier arrested by the CBI, is under fresh ED scrutiny along with his relatives over alleged irregularities in school hiring.

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday conducted searches against West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress MLA Jiban Krishna Saha and some of his relatives as part of a probe into alleged irregularities in the hiring of teachers and staffers in schools, official sources said.

The raids are being undertaken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against the legislator from the Burwan Assembly segment in Murshidabad district.

Some of the relatives and associates of the MLA are also being searched, the sources said. Saha was arrested by the CBI in 2023 for his alleged links to the "scam" and later released.

The ED's money laundering case stems from an FIR registered by the CBI, which was directed by the Calcutta High Court to carry out investigations into alleged irregularities in the hiring of group 'C' and 'D' staff, assistant teachers of Classes 9 to 12 and primary teachers.

The ED had earlier arrested former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee, his alleged associate Arpita Mukherjee, TMC MLA and ex-president of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education Manik Bhattacharya, apart from some others in this case.

Chatterjee was suspended by the TMC after his arrest by the ED.

A total of four charge sheets have been filed by the EDin this case till now.