The Directorate of Enforcement in Kolkata has arrested two key individuals involved in the ongoing investigation into the West Bengal school recruitment scam. Prasanna Kumar Roy, the middleman, and Chandan Mondal, his main agent, were arrested in connection with illegal appointments for Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ posts in government schools under the West Bengal School Service Commission .
Roy was arrested on November 28, 2024, while Mondal was taken into custody on November 26, 2024. Both were produced before the Hon’ble Special Court in Kolkata, which granted ED custody until December 2, 2024.
The investigation was initiated after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed two FIRs, under various sections of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, regarding illegal appointments in WBSSC. These appointments were made to undeserving candidates in exchange for bribes, depriving qualified candidates of their rightful positions. According to the charges, 3,432 candidates were appointed unlawfully through criminal conspiracy.
The ED’s action follows earlier measures where it attached assets worth Rs. 393.80 Crore linked to Roy and his associates. This includes properties tied to his company, M/s Durga Dealcom Private Limited, and his family members. The ED attached Rs. 163.20 Crore worth of assets on October 25, 2024, and Rs. 230.60 Crore worth on April 10, 2024, as part of its investigation into the wider teacher recruitment scam, which also involves allegations of large-scale corruption.
Both arrests come after months of investigation into the corruption network that exploited the school recruitment system for personal gain, affecting thousands of job seekers in West Bengal.
