Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 16 (ANI): Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Monday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with the alleged teacher recruitment scam, and said that the probe agency questioned him for 11 hours.
Speaking to the media after the questioning, Banerjee said that he would not cower down and would appear before the agency if he is summoned in the future. The TMC leader also slammed the BJP, accusing it of breaking the regional party and indulging in post-poll violence.
"I was questioned for 8-8.30 hours yesterday and for 11 hours today. This is a 2023 case, and I have appeared before the agency 10-12 times. I won't say whether there is political pressure or not. The less it is said about the BJP, the better it is. On one side, they break our party and indulge in post-poll violence. Even if you slit my throat, I won't cower down. I will appear before the agency if they summon me even in the future," he said.
Banerjee was summoned for questioning in connection with the alleged multi-crore Primary Teachers Recruitment scam in West Bengal.
Earlier this month, the TMC MP was summoned and asked to appear before the central agency to join the ongoing investigation. The summons is part of the ED's probe into alleged irregularities in the recruitment process of primary teachers, which has been under scrutiny for suspected financial misconduct and procedural violations.
The move comes five months after ED's Kolkata zonal office in January this year attached immovable properties having a total value of approximately Rs 57.78 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (SSC) Assistant Teacher Recruitment Scam (Classes IX to XII).
On July 23, 2022, the ED had arrested former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee after cash worth over Rs 50 crore and gold jewellery worth Rs 4.5 crore was recovered from the residence of his close aide Arpita Mukherjee during raids linked to the cash-for-jobs scam, in which thousands of unqualified candidates were "illegally appointed to teaching and non-teaching positions across State-run and State- aided schools in West Bengal" in lieu of extraneous consideration.
In the Primary Teachers Recruitment Scam in West Bengal, ED has already attached and seized properties worth Rs 154 crore.
The Supreme Court, in its judgment dated April 3, 2025, had quashed the appointments of more than 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff, holding the entire recruitment process to be vitiated and tainted.
The ED had filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) for offences registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Meanwhile, the CBI had registered a case under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including the Prevention of Corruption Act. (ANI)
