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In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the West Bengal school recruitment scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Jiban Krishna Saha on Monday. The arrest took place at his residence in Burwan, Murshidabad district, following raids conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
According to ED officials, Saha attempted to evade authorities during the raid by scaling the boundary wall of his residence and discarding his mobile phone in a nearby drain in an apparent bid to destroy evidence. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel accompanying the ED team apprehended the MLA in a nearby agricultural field. The discarded phone was later recovered and is set to undergo forensic analysis to uncover potential evidence related to the scam.
The ED’s probe centres around alleged monetary transaction linked to an individual from Birbhum district and the TMC MLA. Simultaneous searches were conducted at multiple locations, including the residences of Saha’s in-laws in Raghunathganj and his aunt, a TMC councillor in Birbhum, as well as the home of his personal assistant.
Saha, who represents the Burwan constituency, was previously arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in April 2023 for his alleged involvement in the same scam. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court in May 2024 but now faces renewed scrutiny as the ED probes the money laundering aspects of the case. The CBI continues to investigate the criminal dimensions of the scam, which involves allegations of bribes being paid for teaching and non-teaching positions in West Bengal schools between 2014 and 2021.
The school recruitment scam has already implicated several high-profile TMC leaders, including former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and former West Bengal Board of Primary Education president Manik Bhattacharya, both of whom were arrested earlier. The ED has filed four charge sheets in the case, highlighting a complex web of financial transactions and illicit dealings.
