ED seizes assets worth Rs 163 crore in recruitment scam in West Bengal

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday said it has seized assets worth over Rs 163 crore of the alleged “main intermediary” and its affiliated entities in fresh action in a “scam” in recruitment of C and D category personnel by West Bengal School. Service Commission (WBSSC). The anti-money laundering squad had earlier seized properties worth Rs 230.6 crore in connection with the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of assistant teachers and Rs 151 crore worth of assets in the primary school teacher recruitment “scam”. in West Bengal. Both recruitments were done by the WBSSC.

The ED said in a statement that five hotels and resorts, 230 plots and 17 flats and shops owned by Prasanna Kumar Roy, the “main middleman” in these cases, his wife Kajal Soni Roy and a company controlled and operated by Roy called Shree Durga Dealcom Pvt. Ltd. Have been provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The value of the attached properties is Rs 163.20 crore, the report said.

The attached assets include Chalankita Resort located at Shyampur in Howrah, Royal Bengal Resort in Sunderbans, Hotel Mili (Rubina) in Digha, Hotel Murti in Jalpaiguri and Bamboo Village Resort in Alipurduar. The money laundering probe stems from a CBI FIR and charge sheets registered for the alleged ‘illegal appointment of Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ employees by offering appointment to undeserving, unlisted and under-ranked candidates, thus deserving and genuine candidates.” It is alleged that the appointments were made without maintaining fairness, in a criminal conspiracy by several persons and in disregard of relevant rules, the ED said.

The CBI chargesheets stated that a total of 3,432 (1,125 for Group ‘C’ and 2,307 for Group ‘D’) employees were ‘illegally’ appointed or recommended by the officials of WBSSC in a criminal conspiracy with others. Roy and former WBSSC advisor Santi Prasad Sinha were arrested by the ED in the assistant teachers ‘scam’-related money laundering case and are currently in judicial custody.