The scope and scale of money laundering allegations in the West Bengal SSC Group-C and Group-D recruitment scam are expanding. The investigation has estimated proceeds of crime of at least ₹630.40 crore linked to illegal appointments, manipulation of marks, and alleged bribery.
Highlights
- On 20.08.2026, the Enforcement Directorate filed the first supplementary prosecution complaint against Partha Chatterjee, Arpita Mukherjee, Kuntal Ghosh, and others in the Kolkata PMLA court.
- The ED investigation revealed proceeds of crime of at least ₹630.40 crore from the Group-C and Group-D recruitment scam, while properties worth ₹247.35 crore were attached.
- On 03.04.2025, the Supreme Court found the recruitment process by West Bengal SSC to be flawed and cancelled the fraudulent appointments of over 25,000 teachers and staff.
This article was translated from the original. Read the original version by our correspondent here.
Supplementary Complaint and Investigation Findings in Kolkata Court
According to the Enforcement Directorate (Enforcement Directorate), the Kolkata Zonal Office filed the first supplementary prosecution complaint against Partha Chatterjee, Arpita Mukherjee, Kuntal Ghosh, and others in the Special PMLA Court, Kolkata, on 20.08.2026. This complaint was filed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, following the prosecution complaint dated 22.01.2025.
The ED initiated this investigation based on an FIR registered by CBI, ACB, Kolkata, related to large-scale alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group-C and Group-D employees through the West Bengal Central School Service Commission. The scheduled offences include charges of criminal conspiracy, fraud, and corruption under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The investigation revealed that the alleged recruitment scam was carried out through manipulation of OMR marks, rank jumping, issuance of fake and backdated recommendation letters, appointments after the panel expiry, and selection of ineligible candidates by bypassing the prescribed recruitment process. According to the investigation, then Education Minister Partha Chatterjee abused his authority over WBCSSC and affiliated institutions to influence and facilitate illegal recruitments.
The ED states that lists of ineligible candidates were allegedly prepared on his instructions, and recommendation and appointment letters were issued through intermediaries, including Prasanna Kumar Roy. The investigation also found that illegal collections ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh were made from aspiring candidates in exchange for appointments, with ₹15-16 lakh for Group-C posts and ₹10-12 lakh for Group-D posts.
Recruitment Scope and Legal Impact
The investigation estimates proceeds of crime of at least ₹630.40 crore linked to the Group-C and Group-D recruitment scam. The agency states that the actual amount may be higher, as other methods such as rank jumping, out-of-panel appointments, appointments after panel expiry, and manipulation through RTI or re-evaluation mechanisms were also involved.
According to the ED, the money obtained from illegal recruitment was concealed, used, and projected as legitimate assets through a network of associates, proxies, and shell or dummy entities. In a case related to the primary teacher recruitment scam, approximately ₹49.80 crore in cash and about ₹5.08 crore worth of gold and jewelry were seized from Arpita Mukherjee’s premises, and she has been identified as a custodian of the alleged illegal funds.
The agency also stated that several immovable properties were purchased through entities linked to the accused and their associates. So far, properties worth about ₹247.35 crore have been attached in the SSC Group-C and Group-D recruitment scam, while over ₹702 crore in proceeds of crime have been attached in cases related to SSC and primary teacher recruitment.
In its judgment dated 03.04.2025, the Supreme Court found the recruitment process conducted by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission to be fraudulent and cancelled the appointments of over 25,000 teachers and staff. The judgment also mentioned large-scale irregularities, including manipulation of OMR marks, rank jumping, and illegal appointments.
Our previous report detailed the ED’s PMLA probe involving searches and surveys at seven premises in the alleged homebuyer/investor fraud case linked to the Tashee Group in Delhi-NCR. That article focused on alleged fund misuse, inter-company fund transfers, freezing of bank accounts/FDs, and seizure of documents related to foreign investment and assets.
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