Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary and Member of Parliament (MP) Abhishek Banerjee appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kolkata on June 15, 2026, in connection with the alleged primary school recruitment scam in West Bengal. This development marks a significant escalation in the ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment process for primary teachers in the state.
**ED’s Focus on Financial Irregularities**
The ED’s inquiry centers on potential money laundering activities associated with the recruitment process. Investigators are scrutinizing financial documents, digital evidence, and statements from other accused individuals to trace the alleged proceeds of crime. A senior ED official stated, “Our focus is on the money trail. Who handled funds, how they moved across accounts and entities, and whether these transactions were layered to conceal their origin.”
**Background of the Recruitment Scam**
The primary school recruitment scam has been under investigation since 2022, with the ED conducting multiple raids and attaching assets worth approximately Rs 154 crore linked to the case. The Supreme Court, in its judgment dated April 3, 2025, quashed the appointments of more than 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff, holding the entire recruitment process to be vitiated and tainted.
**Banerjee’s Previous Interrogation by CID**
The questioning of Abhishek Banerjee by the ED follows an eight-and-a-half-hour interrogation by the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on June 14, 2026. The CID’s inquiry pertains to the alleged forgery of signatures of several TMC MLAs on documents related to the appointment of the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.
**ED’s Broader Investigation into Recruitment Irregularities**
The ED’s investigation into recruitment irregularities encompasses multiple facets, including the SSC assistant teacher recruitment and the Group-C and Group-D recruitment cases. To date, the agency has attached assets worth approximately Rs 486 crore in connection with these recruitment scams.
**Conclusion**
The questioning of Abhishek Banerjee by the Enforcement Directorate signifies a critical phase in the investigation into the alleged primary school recruitment scam in West Bengal. As the ED continues to examine financial transactions and the roles of various individuals and entities, the political and legal ramifications of this case are likely to unfold in the coming months.
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