Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned former state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide Arpita Mukherjee in the teachers’ recruitment corruption case, sources in the central agency said on Monday.
It is learnt that the two will be called for questioning after the state Assembly elections. Partha Chatterjee was arrested in July 2022 in the West Bengal School Service Commission teachers’ recruitment corruption case. His close aide, Arpita Mukherjee, was also arrested. However, both secured bail and continue to be out of jail
Besides the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate is also investigating the SSC recruitment corruption case. Initial reports said that investigating officers have found the names of Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee in several places during the investigation. Hence, both will be questioned in this case.
Sources also said that their statements will also be recorded. However, it is not yet clear whether the two will be called at the same time or on separate occasions.
It may be recalled that the former state education minister was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore SSC teacher recruitment scam. On the day of Chatterjee’s arrest in 2022, the ED had unearthed Rs 20 crore in cash from the house of his close associate Arpita Mukherjee, who was also arrested in the same case. Mukherjee was granted bail in 2024.
In September last year, the Calcutta High Court granted bail to Partha Chatterjee.
Despite the bail order, Chatterjee could not be released immediately due to a Supreme Court directive which said that Chatterjee be released only after the trial court completes the examination of material witnesses within two months. He was finally released from judicial custody on November 11, 2025.
After his arrest by the ED officials in 2022, Trinamool Congress stripped him of all his ministerial and organisational portfolios and also suspended his party membership for an indefinite period. The Trinamool Congress even abolished the post of the party’s Secretary General, previously held by Chatterjee.
