Decoded: SSC Scam and its impact on West Bengal politics

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate arrested Partha Chatterjee in connection with the School Service Commission scam on July 23. The probe agency also arrested Chatterjee’s associated Arpita Mukherjee in the same case. Ahead of the arrest, the ED also seized Rs 21-crore cash for Arpita’s house in Kolkata’s Tollygunge.

In the second raid, the investigation agency found Rs. 29 crore and five kilograms of gold jewellery. After this, the leader was suspended from the party till he proved innocent.

What is the SSC Scam?

Under SSC, a teaching and non-teaching recruitment exam were organised by the state’s education department when Partha Chatterjee was the education minister in the previous Mamata government in West Bengal.

The result for the exam was released in November 2017, in which Babita Sarkar secured the first rank. Soon after, WBSSC cancelled the list to release a new merit list. However, this time Babita was not among the Top 20 aspiratns.

In the new list, West Bengal minister Paresh Adhikari’s daughter Ankita Adhikai’s name was added to the list despite getting fewer marks than Babita Sarkar. It is reported that Sarkar got 77 marks whereas Adhikari secured 61.

In 2017, Sarkar reached Calcutta High Court to file a case. The court formed a committee to find the truth. On the basis of the panel’s report, the High Court gave Ankita Adhikari’s job to Babita.

The CBI started the investigation in the case on the HC’s order after Partha Chatterjee’s name surfaced. In the case, ED registered a case on June 24 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) when the money trail angle came to light.

On July 22, the 14 locations linked to Chatterjee were raided before cash recovery from Chatterjee’s associated Arpita Mukherjee on July 23.

SSC Scam impact on West Bengal politics?

In West Bengal, Partha Chatterjee has been associated with Trinamool Congress since the year of the party’s foundation in 1998. Before this, he was associated with Indian National Congress. In TMC, he worked for over 24 years and was party general secretary for nearly two decades, and was appointed national vice-president earlier this year.

His removal from the party is a big jolt not only for the TMC but also for Mamta Banerjee. Removing Chatterjee from the party, National General Secretary of TMC, Abhishek Banerjee said, ”Partha Chatterjee has been suspended from the party till investigations do not complete. If he is proven innocent, we are always ready to welcome him to the party.

”I condemn any malicious campaign against me. The truth must come out, but within a timeframe,” said Mamata Banerjee after the BJP attacked her on the arrest of the party’s senior leader.

The arrest of Mr Chatterjee also draws questions from the opposition over the party’s work in the state.