ED probe in job-for-cash case hits bump as it awaits approval of charge sheet against Bengal minister from Raj Bhavan

Kolkata, Aug 12 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has received a setback in prosecuting West Bengal Minister incharge of micro, small and medium enterprises and textiles department, Chandranath Sinha, in the case regarding irregularities in the recruitment of primary teachers in government schools, after it failed to receive approval of the charge sheet against him from Raj Bhavan.

The ED, on August 6, filed a charge sheet against Sinha, in the primary teachers' recruitment case, in a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata.

On Tuesday, the ED told the court that they did not receive the necessary documents for the approval of the charge sheet from the Raj Bhavan.

As a result, even though the charge sheet was submitted before the court, it was not accepted. Due to this, it is not possible for ED sleuths to proceed further in the case and prosecute the state minister.

The recording of the testimony in the recruitment case was supposed to be done on Tuesday, but could not be done as the charge sheet was not accepted by the court. The matter has been posted for hearing on August 20 now.

Sinha is the second Minister in the Bengal government against whom the ED has filed a charge sheet in this case, the first being the former West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee.

Sinha is a two-time Trinamool Congress MLA from Bolpur Assembly constituency in Birbhum district. He twice avoided appearing before the ED officers.

On August 7, Sinha suddenly appeared at the ED office, however, it was not clear whether he had been questioned or not.

On July 31, ED investigators had sent a request for property documents from Sinha.

At the same time, documents related to all the movable and immovable properties of the Minister and his family were sought.

However, Sinha did not appear before ED officers at its CGO Complex office in Kolkata's Salt Lake. He had reportedly asked the ED for more time.

The ED officials first secured the name of the Minister from the diary of the middleman and now suspended Trinamool Congress leader Kuntal Ghosh, who was later arrested by the central agency officials.

In March last year, the ED officials conducted raid and search operations at the Minister's residence at Bolpur in Birbhum district.

After the raid, the ED officials seized cash worth Rs 41 lakh and a mobile phone from Sinha's residence.

Sinha is known to be close to Trinamool Congress strongman and former party district president in Birbhum, Anubrata Mondal.

--IANS

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