Partha Chatterjee's Bail and the Lingering Shadows of a Multi-crore Scam

ED officials conducted a search at former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee's home related to a school jobs recruitment scam. Chatterjee, arrested in 2022 and released on bail in 2025, allegedly masterminded illegal appointments in government-aided schools, leading to a significant scandal involving cash and gold seizures.

Enforcement Directorate officials conducted a search on Saturday at the residence of former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee in a continuation of the school jobs recruitment scam investigation. Sources confirmed that the team arrived at Chatterjee's Naktala residence around 10:45 am, after security forces secured the premises.

Chatterjee, who was released on bail last month after over three years in custody, was reprimanded for evading an earlier summons post-release. The Supreme Court had granted him bail after a prolonged legal battle concerning his alleged involvement in a scam that led to his arrest in July 2022.

The scandal, which uncovered over Rs 50 crore in cash and gold, implicated Chatterjee and his associate Arpita Mukherjee in the illegal recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in government-aided schools. Stripped of his cabinet roles and political influence, Chatterjee now faces a daunting legal journey ahead.