ED attaches properties Rs163 crore in connection with West Bengal staff recruitment scam

New Delhi [India], October 26 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kolkata has provisionally attached properties over Rs 163.20 crore assets of Prasanna Kumar Roy, his wife Kajal Soni Roy, and their company, Shree Durga Dealcom Private Limited in connection with the West Bengal staff recruitment scam.
"Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Kolkata Zonal Office has provisionally attached hotels/resorts and immovable properties worth Rs 163.20 crore, in the Group 'C' & 'D' staff recruitment scam by the officials of WBCSSC in the State of West Bengal, held in the name of Prasanna Kumar Roy, the main middleman, his wife Kajal Soni Roy and Shree Durga Dealcom Private Limited, a company controlled and operated by Prasanna Kumar Roy," as per an official release.
According to ED, the attached properties include five hotels/resorts, namely Chalankita Resort situated at Shyampur, Howrah, Royal Bengal Resort situated at Sundarbans, Hotel Mili (Rubina) situated at Digha, Hotel Murti situated at Jalpaiguri, Bamboo Village Resort situated at Alipurduar; and 120 Land Parcels held in the name of Shree Durga Dealcom Private Limited, 64 Land Parcels and 12 Flats/Office/Shops held in the name of Prasanna Kumar Roy and 34 Land Parcels and 17 Flats/Office/Shops held in the name of Kajal Soni Roy.
ED initiated an investigation on the two FIRs registered by the CBI under various sections of Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 in the matter of alleged illegal appointment of Group 'C' and 'D' employees for offering appointment to the undeserving, non-listed and below ranked candidates and consequently depriving the deserving and genuine candidates, the angency stated in the release.
"The allegation includes appointment without maintaining fairness, in a criminal conspiracy by various persons and by flouting the relevant Rules. Further, the CBI Charge sheets revealed that total of 3432 (1125 for Group 'C' and 2307 for Group 'D') employees were appointed/recommended illegally for the post of Group 'C' & 'D' Staff by the officials of WBCSSC in criminal conspiracy with others," as per the release.
ED has earlier attached properties worth Rs 230.6 Crore in the case of Assistant Teachers Recruitment Scam in state of West Bengal and arrested Prasanna Kumar Roy and Santi Prasad Sinha [the then Advisor of WBCSSC, in Assistant Teachers Recruitment Scam (Class IX, X, XI, XII Assistant Teachers) in the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC)] and both are presently in judicial custody. In another case of Primary Teachers Recruitment Scam in the State of West Bengal, ED has already attached/seized properties worth Rs. 151 crore.
The total attachment/seizure in teachers recruitment scams including Group 'C' and 'D' Staff in the State of West Bengal so far stands at Rs 544.8 crore. (ANI)