Bengal school job scam: ED tracking use of scam proceeds for election campaign expenses

Kolkata (IANS). The Enforcement Directorate (ED), probing the multi-crore school recruitment case in West Bengal, is now probing the possibility that a part of the proceeds from the alleged scam was used by a particular political party for election expenditure in two northeastern states. going.

Under scrutiny are the expenses incurred by that particular political party on the back of frequent visits of its leaders to the capitals of these two northeastern states and in this connection the expenditure incurred on accommodation there and other related matters.

The source said that the officials of the central agency have got certain leads that a major part of the expenditure incurred under this head was done in cash. Due to this, the investigating officers are worried about the source of this cash and they suspect that some part of the school recruitment income was spent for campaign purposes in these two northeastern states.

Sources said ED sleuths have got some preliminary clues about the scam proceeds being used for campaigning in these two northeastern states from some documents seized from the possession of two arrested accused middlemen in the school recruitment case. who is already in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in a cash-for-job scam case. ,

ED officials have also received information about some contacts of these two arrested accused persons, who were primarily responsible for arranging these campaign-related expenses, where major payments were made in cash. The ED may soon send summons to him and interrogate him for details of the case.

Recently, the ED informed a single judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha of the Calcutta High Court that its officers have attached assets worth Rs 126.70 crore so far in connection with the school recruitment case. Several bank accounts have been frozen and real estate properties have been attached by the central agency.

Justice Sinha had then said that the investigation would not be successful to any extent until the mastermind of the multi-crore school recruitment case in West Bengal was identified.