Kolkata, Aug. 25 -- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested Burwan MLA Jiban Krishna Saha from his Murshidabad residence in connection with the alleged irregularities in the teachers' recruitment process.
Saha had earlier been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2023 in the same case and was out on bail until Monday.
Sources said a team of ED officials, accompanied by central force personnel, reached his residence early in the morning. Despite repeated knocks, Saha did not respond. When officers moved towards the rear entrance, the MLA was spotted attempting to flee. ED officials reportedly chased him, during which he allegedly threw his mobile phones into a drain. The devices were later recovered.
A similar incident occurred in 2023 when CBI officials arrived at his house, and he threw two phones into a pond while trying to escape.
The ED also conducted simultaneous raids at several locations, including the residences of Saha's in-laws and his aunt Maya Saha in Raghunathganj and Birbhum, as well as the house of middleman Prasanna Roy. Roy, earlier arrested by the CBI, was later taken into custody by the ED after securing bail from the Supreme Court. The ED chargesheet against Roy alleges financial dealings worth crores. During questioning, he claimed to have earned over Rs 26 crore from farming. Investigators, however, traced multiple companies in his name. In October last year, the ED attached properties worth Rs 163 crore linked to Roy, including hotels, resorts, and other firms.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.