Kolkata: The wife and son of former West Bengal Primary Education Board president and Trinamool Palasipara MLA Manik Bhattacharya and his close aide Tapas Mandala surrendered at Bankshall Court on Saturday, days after the court sent them summons in connection with the primary school recruitment scam.
Mandal was named in the 159-page supplementary charge sheet that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had submitted to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Alipore on December 9. The charge sheet also mentioned that the proceeds of the alleged crime were parked at Bhattacharya’s wife Satarupa and son Souvik’s bank accounts, apart from others.
The ED lawyer sought judicial custody for the three accused. The court, however, kept the matter for the next hearing.
The ED in its supplementary charge sheet alleged that former education minister Partha Chatterjee, now in custody, had issued no objection certificates to private B Ed and D El Ed colleges from the state education department. Chatterjee also played a key role in securing affiliation to B Ed colleges. The agency alleged that Chatterjee used to charge Rs 6-8 lakh per B Ed or D El Ed college depending upon their projected student strength.
The ED said “the amount for getting NOC and affiliation was paid in cash” by the training colleges concerned through the “person appointed by him”. The agency found that apart from Chatterjee, these private institutes paid amounts ranging from Rs 2-5 lakh to Bhattacharya for the same purpose.
The All Bengal Teachers Training Achievers Association allegedly “worked as a conduit” for Chatterjee and Bhattacharya and served as a platform to collect and transfer money. Tapas Mandal was one of the money collectors who submitted the cash to Manik Bhattacharya.
Mandal was named in the 159-page supplementary charge sheet that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had submitted to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Alipore on December 9. The charge sheet also mentioned that the proceeds of the alleged crime were parked at Bhattacharya’s wife Satarupa and son Souvik’s bank accounts, apart from others.
The ED lawyer sought judicial custody for the three accused. The court, however, kept the matter for the next hearing.
The ED in its supplementary charge sheet alleged that former education minister Partha Chatterjee, now in custody, had issued no objection certificates to private B Ed and D El Ed colleges from the state education department. Chatterjee also played a key role in securing affiliation to B Ed colleges. The agency alleged that Chatterjee used to charge Rs 6-8 lakh per B Ed or D El Ed college depending upon their projected student strength.
The ED said “the amount for getting NOC and affiliation was paid in cash” by the training colleges concerned through the “person appointed by him”. The agency found that apart from Chatterjee, these private institutes paid amounts ranging from Rs 2-5 lakh to Bhattacharya for the same purpose.
The All Bengal Teachers Training Achievers Association allegedly “worked as a conduit” for Chatterjee and Bhattacharya and served as a platform to collect and transfer money. Tapas Mandal was one of the money collectors who submitted the cash to Manik Bhattacharya.
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