Teachers Recruitment Scam In West Bengal: ED Arrests Trinamool Youth Leader Kuntal Ghosh Over Charges Of Collecting Rs 19 crores From Aspirants

The Enforcement Directorate today (Jan 21) arrested Trinamool Congress youth leader Kuntal Ghosh in connection with his role teachers' recruitment scam.

The arrest was made after the central investigation agency conducted searched his two flats in Kolkata on Friday.

Ghosh, who is a youth wing member of the TMC in Hooghly district, was previously questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) too.

Ghosh will be produced before a court on Saturday where the ED is likely to seek his custody.

Ghosh is accused of collected money from job aspirants by promising them TET qualification.

According to preliminary investigation, more than Rs 100 crore was collected by functionaries of the ruling Trinamool from aspirants with a promise of recruiting them as teachers and non-teaching staff at state-run schools between 2014 and 2021.

Ghosh came under the radar of investigative agencies after Tapas Mondal, owner of a private B.Ed college alleged he had paid Rs 19.5 crore to Ghosh as proceeds from recruitment irregularities.

Mondal is a close associate of jailed former TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya. Bhattacharya was the president of Board Of Primary Education when the recruitment scam took place.

'Times Brand Icon 2021'

Ghosh, who was awarded the Times Brand Icon, 2021 for his contribution as entrepreneur in the field of education, claims that he draws ideological inspiration from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her nephew and TMC heir apparent Abhishek Banerjee and TMC youth wing leadear Sayani Ghosh.

Teacher Recruitment Sam

Last year, former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide Arpita Mukherjee were arrested in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam.

Chatterjee, a founding member of TMC and known to be a part of CM Mamata Banerjee's inner circle, was dismissed from the state cabinet after his arrest

The ED has filed a prosecution complaint against eight accused including Chatterjee and Mukherjee in the Teachers' Recruitment Scam in West Bengal before the PMLA Special Court, Kolkata.