Key facts
- TMC MLA Rathin Ghosh was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kolkata.
- The questioning is part of an ongoing probe into an alleged municipality recruitment scam in West Bengal.
- Ghosh, a former West Bengal minister, left the ED office after his questioning.
- The ED is investigating alleged irregularities in municipal recruitments across the state.
- Abhishek Banerjee, TMC National General Secretary, was also summoned by the ED for questioning in a separate recruitment scam.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Rathin Ghosh appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kolkata on Monday for questioning in connection with an alleged municipality recruitment scam.
Ghosh, who is also a former West Bengal minister, left the agency's office after the interrogation session. The ED is currently investigating alleged irregularities in the recruitment processes within municipalities in West Bengal.
This development follows a similar summons issued to TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who also appeared before the ED for questioning in connection with the alleged multi-crore Primary Teachers Recruitment scam in the state.
Earlier this year, in January, the ED had attached immovable properties valued at approximately Rs 57.78 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (SSC) Assistant Teacher Recruitment Scam for classes IX to XII.
In July 2022, the ED arrested former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee after recovering over Rs 50 crore in cash and Rs 4.5 crore worth of gold jewellery from the residence of his close aide, Arpita Mukherjee. This arrest was linked to a cash-for-jobs scam involving the illegal appointment of thousands of candidates to teaching and non-teaching positions in state-run schools.
In the Primary Teachers Recruitment Scam, the ED has so far attached and seized properties worth Rs 154 crore. The Supreme Court, in a judgment on April 3, 2025, had invalidated the appointments of more than 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff, deeming the entire recruitment process flawed and tainted. The ED initiated an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) for offences under the PMLA, while the CBI registered a separate case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.