The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets valued over ₹163 crore in connection with a widening probe into alleged corruption in the recruitment of staff for groups C and D by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).
The assets are linked to Prasanna Kumar Roy, identified as the “main middleman” in the case, his wife Kajal Soni Roy, and Shree Durga Dealcom Pvt. Ltd, an entity reportedly operated by Roy.
The ED's provisional attachment includes five properties in prominent locations in West Bengal, encompassing hotels and resorts such as the Chalankita Resort in Howrah, Royal Bengal Resort in the Sunderbans, and the Bamboo Village Resort in Alipurduar.
Additionally, 230 parcels of land and 17 flats or commercial spaces have been seized. The agency said these assets have been attached under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The case stems from an FIR filed by the CBI, which has uncovered extensive evidence pointing to alleged irregularities in hiring practices for lower-rung positions within the education department. Allegations include the appointment of unqualified, unlisted candidates to these government posts, to the detriment of eligible candidates, with Roy acting as a key intermediary.
In previous actions, the ED attached properties worth over ₹230 crore in connection with suspected recruitment irregularities for assistant teachers and an additional ₹151 crore tied to alleged primary teacher hiring discrepancies.
Roy and Santi Prasad Sinha, a former WBSSC advisor, were detained by the ED in connection with the scandal. Both are currently held under judicial custody as investigations continue.
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