SSC scam heat rises: ED raids Partha Chatterjee residence again ahead of Bengal polls
The Statesman | 12 April 2026
The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday carried out fresh searches at the south Kolkata residence of former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee, intensifying its probe into the school teacher recruitment case at a politically sensitive time ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
The latest action comes amid renewed scrutiny of the multi-crore recruitment scam that had rocked the state in 2022. With elections approaching, the central agency’s move signals a tightening of the investigation around key accused and alleged intermediaries.
Officials of the Enforcement Directorate reached Chatterjee’s Naktala residence in the morning, accompanied by central forces. Sources indicated that the visit was aimed at questioning him again in connection with the recruitment case, after he reportedly skipped multiple summons issued by the agency following his release on bail.
According to sources, Chatterjee had not appeared before ED officials despite being called several times, citing health reasons. He had conveyed that he could be questioned either via video call or at his residence, which is believed to have prompted the agency’s visit on Saturday.
Around the same time, another ED team conducted a search at an office linked to Prasanna Roy in New Town. Roy is said to be one of the alleged middlemen in the recruitment case.
An ED team reached the New Town premises shortly before 11 am and began search operations there as part of the same investigation.
Chatterjee was arrested by the ED in July 2022 over his alleged role in the teacher recruitment scam linked to the School Service Commission. The case had drawn national attention after investigators recovered Rs 20 crore in cash from the residence of his close associate, Arpita Mukherjee, who was also arrested.
Mukherjee got bail in 2024, but Chatterjee had to stay behind bars much longer before finally getting relief from the courts.
In September last year, the Calcutta High Court granted bail to Chatterjee. His release was delayed due to a Supreme Court direction that required the completion of the examination of key witnesses by the trial court within two months.
He was eventually released from judicial custody on November 11.
Separately, Samudra Bose, son of state minister and Trinamool Congress leader Sujit Bose, appeared before ED officials at the CGO Complex in Salt Lake. He was questioned in connection with the recruitment case involving state municipalities.
The ED’s simultaneous actions across locations suggest that the agency is continuing to widen the scope of its probe in the case.