Kolkata

Officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) 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 the Naktala area around 10.45 am after central forces cordoned off the premises.

The team conducted a search operation and questioned him, an official said, adding that Chatterjee had not attended an earlier summons after being released on bail.

Chatterjee was released on bail on November 11, 2025, after spending more than three years in custody following his arrest on July 23, 2022, in connection with the alleged scam.

He had secured bail from the Supreme Court of India in the CBI-probed case in August 2025 and later in related cases before being released after completing formalities.

The investigation began with ED raids on July 22-23, 2022, at his residence and the premises of his close associate Arpita Mukherjee.

During those raids, investigators seized over Rs 50 crore in cash and gold jewellery, after which both Chatterjee and Mukherjee were arrested.

Chatterjee has been accused of being the “mastermind” in an alleged multi-crore scam involving illegal appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff in government-aided schools during his tenure as education minister.

Following his arrest, he was removed from the state cabinet and suspended by the Trinamool Congress.

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He was not renominated by the party from the Behala Paschim seat for the 2026 Assembly elections, a constituency he had represented for four consecutive terms since 2006.