ED raids ex-Bengal Min Partha Chatterjee’s Naktala residence months after bail in teachers’ recruitment scam

An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team conducted raids at the South Kolkata residence of former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on Saturday morning, in connection with the ongoing School Service Commission (SSC) teachers’ recruitment scam. The operation unfolded in Naktala at a politically sensitive moment, coinciding with a peak in the state’s election campaign, marked by multiple high-profile rallies led by national leaders.
Officials said the ED team, accompanied by Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel, reached Chatterjee’s residence after he reportedly failed to respond to a recent summons. The search is part of the agency’s continuing probe into alleged large-scale irregularities in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run schools.

Chatterjee was arrested in July 2022 alongside his close associate Arpita Mukherjee, after investigators recovered large quantities of cash and valuables from properties linked to her. The case quickly became one of the most high-profile corruption investigations in the state. Although both Chatterjee and Mukherjee have since secured bail, the investigation has remained active, with central agencies continuing to pursue leads.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also probing the alleged scam in parallel with the ED’s financial investigation. Legal proceedings in the case have seen several developments over the past year. In September, the Calcutta High Court granted bail to Chatterjee, but his release was delayed due to a Supreme Court directive requiring the trial court to complete the examination of key witnesses. He was eventually released from judicial custody on November 11, 2025.

The ED’s latest action also intersects with other political figures. State minister Sujit Bose, a candidate from the Bidhannagar Assembly constituency, has been summoned by the agency in connection with the probe. However, due to hospitalization, he did not appear personally; instead, his son Samudro Bose, accompanied by legal counsel, appeared before ED officials and submitted relevant documents. Bose had previously skipped two summons issued by the agency.

Saturday’s raids add a fresh layer of political and legal tension to an already charged atmosphere in West Bengal, as the state heads deeper into a high-stakes electoral contest while key corruption investigations continue to unfold.