ED attaches assets worth Rs 3.60 cr of West Bengal minister in recruitment scam

Kolkata, Jan 2 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth about Rs 3.60 crore of West Bengal's Correctional Administration Minister Chandranath Sinha and his family in connection with the primary teacher recruitment scam, an official said.

The ED on Friday submitted the necessary documents before a CBI special court in Kolkata, informing it about the properties attached, he said.

A total of 10 properties, including houses, flats, land parcels and a market, registered in the names of Sinha, his wife and their two sons, have been attached, he added.

The value of the attached assets, spread across Bolpur, has been calculated based on their purchase price, the official said.

The ED had filed a chargesheet against Sinha in this case about six months ago.

Sinha, who also holds MSME and Textiles portfolios, had surrendered before a court on September 6 last year. The ED had sought his custody, but the court granted him bail with certain conditions.

The minister's name reportedly appeared in a diary seized from another accused in the case, Kuntal Ghosh, the official said.

After his name surfaced, the ED conducted multiple searches at his residences in Bolpur and Kolkata, and recovered around Rs 41 lakh in cash, besides other documents. PTI SUS SOM