Abhishek Banerjee appears before ED in Bengal school job scam
Synopsis
TMC's second-most powerful figure walked into the ED's Salt Lake office ahead of schedule on Monday — no security cordon, no traffic curbs, no fanfare. The contrast with his earlier appearances under the previous TMC government is stark, and with his name in both CBI and ED chargesheets and his former company flagged in the ED filing, the Bengal school-job scam is closing in on the party's inner circle.
Key Takeaways
Abhishek Banerjee , TMC general secretary and Lok Sabha MP, appeared before the ED in Kolkata on 15 June for questioning in the Bengal school-job scam.
He arrived at the Salt Lake CGO Complex before 11 am , ahead of the noon deadline, and refused to speak to media.
No special security, police deployment, or CAPF presence was noted — a marked contrast to his earlier ED appearances.
His name appears in chargesheets filed by both the CBI and the ED ; he was not named as an accused in the CBI chargesheet.
The ED chargesheet references Leaps & Bounds Private Limited , of which Banerjee was previously CEO .
The CBI probe was originally ordered by then-Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay , now a BJP MP from Tamluk .
Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at its Salt Lake office in Kolkata on Monday, 15 June, for questioning in the multi-crore cash-for-school-job case in West Bengal. He arrived shortly before 11 am — well ahead of the noon deadline set by the central agency — and declined to speak to waiting journalists on his way in.
A Notably Routine Appearance
In a sharp contrast to previous visits, Monday's appearance unfolded without any special security arrangements. There was no additional police deployment, no Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) presence, and no restrictions on media or traffic movement around the CGO Complex at Salt Lake, where the ED's regional office is located.
During earlier appearances before the ED — when Mamata Banerjee led the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal — elaborate security cordons were erected both inside and outside the CGO Complex, traffic was significantly restricted, and media access within the premises was curtailed. On Monday, by all accounts, it was a normal working day at the complex.
Banerjee's Name in CBI and ED Chargesheets
Abhishek Banerjee, who is also the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been named in chargesheets filed by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED in connection with the Bengal school-job case. Notably, while his name appears in the CBI chargesheet, he was not listed as an accused in that document.
In the ED chargesheet, the name of Leaps & Bounds Private Limited surfaced prominently — a company of which Abhishek Banerjee previously served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
How the Probe Was Set in Motion
The CBI investigation into the Bengal school-job case was originally ordered by then-Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who subsequently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is currently the Lok Sabha member from Tamluk constituency in East Midnapore district. The ED later registered Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs) and entered the investigation on a suo motu basis, running a parallel probe alongside the CBI.
What the Case Involves
The school-job scam centres on alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government schools, with investigators probing whether appointments were made in exchange for cash payments. The case has already led to multiple arrests and has become one of the most politically charged corruption investigations in the state in recent years.
With Abhishek Banerjee's interrogation now underway, the ED's next steps — including whether further summons are issued or formal charges are expanded — are being closely watched by both legal observers and political circles in West Bengal.
Point of View
For now, over. His name surfacing in both the CBI and ED chargesheets, combined with the Leaps & Bounds link, means investigators have built a paper trail that is difficult to dismiss as political targeting alone. The deeper question is whether the ED will move to formally name him as an accused — a step that would fundamentally alter the political calculus in West Bengal ahead of the next assembly election cycle. Mainstream coverage has focused on the optics of his arrival; the more consequential story is what the chargesheets actually allege about money flows through his former company.
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Abhishek Banerjee summoned by the ED?
Abhishek Banerjee was called for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-school-job scam in West Bengal, in which the agency is conducting a parallel investigation alongside the CBI. His name appears in the ED chargesheet, and a company he previously led — Leaps & Bounds Private Limited — is also referenced in the filing.
What is the Bengal school-job scam?
The Bengal school-job scam involves alleged large-scale irregularities in the recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government schools, with investigators probing whether appointments were granted in exchange for cash. The case has resulted in multiple arrests and is one of the most politically sensitive corruption probes in the state in recent years.
Is Abhishek Banerjee named as an accused in the school-job case?
Abhishek Banerjee's name appears in chargesheets filed by both the CBI and the ED, but he was not listed as an accused in the CBI chargesheet. His status in the ED's proceedings is part of what the ongoing interrogation seeks to establish.
How did the CBI and ED get involved in the Bengal school-job case?
The CBI probe was first ordered by then-Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, now a BJP Lok Sabha MP from Tamluk in East Midnapore. The ED subsequently registered Enforcement Case Information Reports and entered the investigation suo motu, running a separate money-laundering probe in parallel.
What is Leaps & Bounds Private Limited and why is it relevant?
Leaps & Bounds Private Limited is a company of which Abhishek Banerjee previously served as CEO. Its name surfaced in the ED's chargesheet in the Bengal school-job case, making it a focal point of the agency's financial investigation into the scam.
