Bengal SSC scam: CBI makes first arrests; two top officials nabbed

Shanti Prasad Sinha and Ashok Saha were interrogated several times after the Calcutta high court ordered the CBI probe into the case. On Wednesday, they were taken into custody after hours of interrogation.

Updated on: Aug 10, 2022, 18:47:53 IST

By HT News Desk | Edited by Aniruddha Dhar

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday made its first arrests in connection with the Bengal school recruitment scam in which former minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee were arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 23.

Chatterjee and Mukherjee were arrested in connection with the ED's probe into the money trail in illegal recruitments done by the School Service Commission (SSC) for West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools.

The CBI arrested Shanti Prasad Sinha, convenor of the special advisory committee formed for the appointments and Ashok Saha, who was a secretary of the state School Service Commission.

Sinha and Saha were interrogated several times after the Calcutta high court ordered the CBI probe into the case. On Wednesday, they were taken into custody after hours of interrogation.

The ED has claimed that it recovered ₹49.80 crore in cash, jewellery and gold bars from apartments owned by Mukherjee, besides documents of properties and a company in joint holding. The duo is facing charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Claiming that Chatterjee is not an influential person anymore, his lawyer prayed that he be released on bail on any condition imposed by the court.

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