Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee underwent nearly 11 hours of questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday in connection with an alleged money trail linked to irregularities in recruitment to state-aided schools in West Bengal. The questioning took place at the ED’s office in the CGO Complex at Salt Lake, where Banerjee arrived shortly before 11 am and left around 10 pm. Speaking briefly after the session, he said he had tried to answer all the questions that were asked.
Third Round of ED Questioning
Monday’s appearance marked the third time Banerjee had faced questioning by the ED in the case. He had previously been examined by the agency in September 2023 and again in November 2023.
A day earlier, Banerjee had also appeared before officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with an alleged signature forgery case.
According to ED sources, the latest round of questioning was aimed at tracing the movement of alleged proceeds of crime arising from recruitment irregularities in state-aided schools. Officials said investigators were examining allegations that money generated through the irregularities may have moved through multiple channels. Banerjee’s statements during the interrogation were recorded, the sources added.
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Probe Focuses on Alleged Money Trail
The Trinamool leader had previously submitted a 6,000-page document to the ED in November 2023 in response to questions raised by investigators in connection with the probe. At the time, he had stated that he had nothing to hide and would appear before the agency again if summoned.
Recruitment Case and Ongoing Investigation
The recruitment process under scrutiny relates to the appointment of approximately 24,600 teaching and non-teaching staff in state-aided schools through a written test conducted in 2016 and subsequent personality assessments. According to the report, the merit lists for Group C and Group D posts expired in May 2019, while those for secondary and higher secondary teachers expired in December 2019.
Investigators have alleged that more than 1,000 appointments were made after the expiry of the merit lists.
The ED began its money laundering investigation in July 2022 following a First Information Report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is conducting a parallel probe. The agency filed its first chargesheet in September 2022, naming former education minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee.
The report further noted that the sixth chargesheet, filed in 2025, named Trinamool MLA Chandranath Sinha of Bolpur as an accused. In the separate alleged signature forgery case, Sinha has told the CID that the signature on the resolution copy was his and that he attended a Trinamool legislators’ meeting to choose the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly.
