WBSSC scam: ED summons Tapas Mondal, close aide of arrested TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya, on November 2

KOLKATA: In more trouble for TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya, who has been arrested in connection with the multi-crore West Bengal teachers’ recruitment scam, the Enforcement Directorate has now summoned his close aide Tapas Mondal for questioning on November 2. The central financial crime probe agency had earlier summoned Mondal for interrogation on October 20.

Tapas Mondal, who owns a teacher training centre, was asked to bring bank account documents of teacher training centers to the ED office. ED had earlier conducted searches at several places in Kolkata, including Mondal’s residence near Kamakhya Balak Ashram and his office, in connection with its probe into the recruitment scam in West Bengal, where some of the top leaders of the ruling TMC are under the lens.

Along with crucial documents and land deeds, a hard disk, two mobile phones and two pen drives from Mondal’s office were recovered by ED during the search operation. Along with ED, officials from the Income Tax department also searched Mondal’s residence and training institute.

The ED had already arrested Manik Bhattacharya, a former chairman of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, in connection with the case. Earlier, ED had arrested a very influential but now suspended, TMC leader and former industries minister Partha Chatterjee in the alleged SSC scam. His close aide, Arpita Mukherjee, was also arrested in the same case after close to Rs 50 crores in cash was recovered from her various premises.