Bengal school jobs case: ED plans to question Partha Chatterjee’s relatives residing abroad

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is considering to issue notices to at least to two close relatives of former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, who are currently residing abroad, for questioning in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-school-jobs case in the state.

Chatterjee, a prime accused in the case, is in judicial custody since his arrest by the ED in July 2022.

Sources said that one of the two relatives of Chatterjee whom the central agency is considering to send notice to is the former minister's son-in law Kalyan Bhattacharya. The second person is Krishna Chandra Adhikari, the maternal uncle of Bhattacharya.

Sources said the central agency is planning to question Bhattacharya and Adhikari because of their alleged links as directors in some corporate entities whose names surfaced during the course of the investigation into the school jobs case. Also, the central agency wants to interrogate them about the properties that Chatterjee purchased in the name of his relatives, especially Bhattacharya.

A few months back, Bhattacharya, who currently lives abroad with Chatterjee’s daughter Sohini Bhattacharya, came to Kolkata and was questioned by the Income Tax Department about the properties purchased in his name.

Bhattacharya had then reportedly handed over some related documents to the Income Tax officers.

Meanwhile on Friday, the ED conducted raid at the residence of a private promoter named Rajib Dey, believed to be a confidant of Chatterjee. The move came after the central agency got information about Dey's real-estate business, in which the close the relatives of Chatterjee, including his deceased wife and son-in-law, served as directors.