Bengal school job case: ED traces Bhadra’s links with multiple real estate companies

Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the multi-crore school job case in West Bengal

KOLKATA —  Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the multi-crore school job case in West Bengal has mentioned in its last charge sheet about some reputed real estate companies based out of Kolkata through which a prime accused in the case, Sujay Krishna Bhadra had channelized the proceeds of the alleged scam.

Sources said that in the charge sheet filed at a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata on July 28, the ED sleuths have also given some idea on how Bhadra used his network with these real estate companies to divert the proceeds.

Sources said that first the two companies, where Bhadra was the principal shareholder, used to enter into so-called equipment supply agreement with these reported real estate development agencies and in turn used to receive huge sums of money from them. The money was then shown in the books of accounts as payments for that equipment supply.

This month only the ED sleuths conducted raid and search operations at the offices of four real estate development entities and procured crucial documents on this count. Both the companies where Bhadra is the principal shareholder were floated in March 2020, when the lockdown period in view of Covid-19 had started in the country.

All these had been mentioned in the 7,600 page charge sheet, with the principal charge sheet being of 125 pages, sources added.

In the same document the central agency sleuths have made an attempt to draw a picture on how Bhadra used his connection with influential people to run this entire show.

In the charge sheet, sources added, it has also been mentioned how Bhadra with the help of a reputed city-based chartered accountant had artificially pumped up the share price of a particular company from the price of INR 10 a share to that of INR 440 a share.

In the charge sheet, the central agency sleuths have claimed that Bhadra acted as the main link between former state education minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee and expelled youth Trinamool Congress leader Kuntal Ghosh, both of whom are in judicial custody currently for their alleged involvement in the school job case.

Bhadra, according to ED’s findings, also maintained a close liaison with Trinamool Congress legislator and the former president of West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBPE) Manik Bhattacharyya, who is also in judicial custody now in the same case.

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