Teachers' recruitment scam: ED's total seizure and attachment amounts to Rs 110 crore

New Delhi [India], December 18 : The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has filed a supplementary prosecution complaint against six accused persons and entities in the Teachers' Recruitment Scam in West Bengal before the Special Court (PMLA) in Kolkata. The probe agency has also seized cash of over Rs 49.80 crore, gold and jewellery worth Rs 5.08 crore and attached properties worth Rs 56.15 crore in connection with the case.
The accused included TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya; his wife -- Satarupa Bhattacharya; his son -- Souvik Bhattacharya, who is the former President of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education and Tapas Kumar Mondal, who is the owner of a teacher training centre, and others. The two companies named in the charge sheet are Acuere Consultancy Services and Educlasses Online.
The Special Court (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), Calcutta, has taken cognizance of the offence of money laundering in the said supplementary prosecution complaint after finding that a prima facie case has been made out against the newly added six accused persons, according to a statement from the probe agency released on Friday.
ED had earlier arrested the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA and the former president of the West Bengal Board of primary education in the Teachers' Recruitment Scam in West Bengal on December 10, 2022, due to his active and direct involvement in the offence of money laundering.
The probe agency has also seized cash amounting to a total of Rs 49.80 crore, and gold and jewellery valued at more than Rs 5.08 crore and provisionally attached properties worth Rs 56.15 crore in this recruitment scam. The total seizure and attachment stands at Rs 111 crore. The agency said further Investigation is under progress.