New Delhi, April 24
Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has attached properties worth Rs. 56.50 Crore, in the SSC Scam (Group C & D Staff) of West Bengal, held in the name of the companies/LLPs of Prasanna Kumar Roy and his associates.
Supreme Court recently vide judgement in SLP (Civil) 9586 of 2024 in the matter of State of West Bengal versus Baishakhi Bhattacharya (Chatterjee) & Ors, quashed the appointments of more than 25000 teaching and non-teaching staff by the West Bengal Central SSC terming the entire selection process as vitiated and tainted.
ED initiated investigation on the basis of two FIRs registered by the CBI under Sections IPC, 1860 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 in the matter of illegal appointment of Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ employees to the undeserving, non-listed and below ranked candidates and depriving the deserving and genuine candidates. The allegation includes appointment without maintaining fairness, in criminal conspiracy by various persons and by flouting the relevant Rules.
ED has earlier attached properties worth Rs. 163.66 Crore in this case of Group C & D staff Recruitment Scam in state of West Bengal and arrested Prasanna Kumar Roy (the main middleman involved in the collection of money and details from candidates) and Chandan Mondal [main agent of Prasanna Kumar Roy) and both are presently in judicial custody.
In a related case of Assistant Teacher Recruitment Scam (SSC Asst Teachers 9th to 12th), the ED has earlier attached properties worth Rs. 238.78 Crore. In another case of Primary Teachers Recruitment Scam in the State of West Bengal, ED has already attached/seized properties worth Rs. 151 Crore. Thus, the total attachment by ED Kolkata in the recruitment scam cases stands at Rs. 609.9 crores.
