Kolkata, Mar 24 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate on Friday told a special court here that it is almost at the end of their investigation on the multi-crore scam in recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government schools.
"We can see the arrival of the rainbow from here. I will request the people of the state to hold patience for some more time. We are at the end of the spring," ED counsel Phiroze Edulji said while making his submission at the court during the hearing on the bail petition of expelled youth Trinamool Congress leader Santanu Bandopadhyay who is currently in judicial custody in connection with the scam.
Edulji also dragged the name of former state Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary Seneral Partha Chatterjee, who is also in judicial custody in connection to the scam since his arrest by the ED sleuths in July last year.
"If Partha Chatterjee was the teacher in this scam process, Santanu Bandopadhyay is an ideal student on this count. The latter has followed the same line of corruption adopted by Partha Chatterjee. He also floated a company to divert crime proceeds," counsel argued.
On this point, Edulji also referred to the recently arrested private real estate promoter Ayan Shil in connection with the scam. "After raiding Shil's residence, it has been proved that the irregularities are not just restricted to the education sector. Similar irregularities have surfaced in the recruitment of a number of municipalities. This is such a goldmine whose length is never-ending. After every dry summer the spring arrives followed by the monsoon. The rainbow rays are clearly visible then. We are almost at the end of the spring. So, I request all to hold patience. We have almost reached the terminal point," Edulji said.
He claimed that as an ordinary employee of the state-run power distribution entity, Santanu Bandopadhyay used to draw an annual salary of around Rs 6,00,00. "However, he owns property worth crores of rupees as revealed during the course of investigation. His property includes multi residences, farm houses and dummy corporate entities among others," he argued.
Finally, the court remanded Santanu Bandopadhyay to judicial custody till April 5.