The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into the West Bengal school jobs scam by raiding the residence of former education minister Partha Chatterjee, who was previously arrested and later released on bail in connection with the case.
Key Points
- ED officials raided the Kolkata residence of former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee in connection with the school jobs recruitment scam.
- Partha Chatterjee was previously arrested in July 2022 and spent over three years in custody before being released on bail in November 2025.
- The investigation stems from ED raids in 2022 that uncovered over Rs 50 crore in cash and gold jewellery at Chatterjee's residence and the premises of his associate, Arpita Mukherjee.
- Chatterjee is accused of being the 'mastermind' behind the illegal appointment of teachers and non-teaching staff in government-aided schools during his tenure as education minister.
- Following his arrest, Chatterjee was removed from his cabinet positions and suspended from the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
ED officials on Saturday visited the residence of former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee in Kolkata in connection with the school jobs recruitment scam, sources said.
A team of ED officials reached Chatterjee's house in Naktala area around 10.45 am after central forces cordoned off the premises, they said.
Chatterjee was released on bail on November 11, 2025, after spending over three years (39 months) in custody following his arrest by the ED on July 23, 2022, in connection with the scam.
The team conducted a search at his residence and questioned him, an ED official said, adding that Chatterjee did not attend an earlier summons after his release on bail.
He had secured bail from the Supreme Court in the CBI-probed case in August 2025 and subsequently in other related cases before being released from judicial custody after completing formalities.
He had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kolkata before his release.
Background of the School Jobs Scam Investigation
The investigation began with ED raids on July 22-23, 2022, at his Naktala residence and the premises of his close associate, Arpita Mukherjee.
During these raids, over Rs 50 crore in cash and gold jewellery were seized, and both Chatterjee and Mukherjee were arrested.
Chatterjee was accused of being the "mastermind" in a multi-crore scam involving illegal appointments of teachers and non-teaching staff (Group C & D) in government-aided schools while serving as the state's education minister.
His bail conditions included surrendering his passport and not leaving the jurisdiction of the trial court.
Following the arrest, he was stripped of his cabinet portfolios and suspended from the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
He was not renominated from his Behala Paschim seat for the 2026 Assembly polls by the TMC, from where he was the sitting MLA for four terms since 2006.
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