The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Kolkata Zonal Office has filed the first supplementary chargesheet against former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, his close associate Arpita Mukherjee, Kuntal Ghosh, and others before the Special Court (PMLA) in Kolkata in connection with the SSC Group-C and Group-D staff recruitment scam. The filing, announced on Monday, 24 August, continues proceedings initiated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, building on an earlier chargesheet filed in January 2025.

Background and Basis of Investigation

The ED launched its probe on the basis of First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), Kolkata, relating to large-scale irregularities in recruitment conducted through the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (WBCSSC). The scheduled offences include criminal conspiracy, cheating, and corruption under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

This is the second major legal milestone in the case, following the original chargesheet. The supplementary filing signals that investigators have gathered additional evidence and identified further dimensions of the alleged fraud.

How the Scam Operated

According to the ED, the recruitment fraud was perpetrated through multiple mechanisms: manipulation of OMR scores, rank jumping, issuance of forged and back-dated recommendation letters, illegal appointments after the expiry of panels, and the appointment of undeserving candidates by circumventing prescribed procedures.

Candidates were allegedly charged between ₹10 lakh and ₹20 lakh for various posts. Specifically, ₹15 lakh to ₹16 lakh was reportedly collected for Group-C posts and ₹10 lakh to ₹12 lakh for Group-D posts. Prasanna Kumar Roy is identified as a principal middleman who, along with associates, facilitated the collection and routing of proceeds of crime.

Scale of Proceeds and Asset Attachments

The ED has quantified proceeds of crime in the Group-C and Group-D recruitment scam at a minimum of ₹630.40 crore, based on the number of illegal appointments and amounts collected. The agency has cautioned that the actual figure may be higher, as the scam also involved rank jumping, out-of-panel appointments, appointments after panel expiry, and manipulation through RTI and reevaluation mechanisms.

Investigators found that proceeds were concealed and projected as untainted property through a network of associates, proxies, and shell or dummy entities. Multiple immovable properties were acquired using scam funds through entities linked to the accused. The ED has so far attached properties worth approximately ₹247.35 crore in the SSC Group-C and Group-D scam alone. Across all related recruitment scam cases — including the Primary Teachers scam — total attached proceeds of crime exceed ₹702 crore.

Key Accused

Partha Chatterjee, who served as West Bengal's Education Minister at the time of the alleged irregularities, was arrested by the ED in July 2022 and has remained in custody. Arpita Mukherjee, described as his close associate, gained notoriety after cash and valuables reportedly running into crores were recovered from her residences during searches. Kuntal Ghosh is among the other accused named in the supplementary chargesheet.

What Comes Next

The matter will now be heard before the Special PMLA Court in Kolkata. The supplementary chargesheet broadens the evidentiary record and could accelerate trial proceedings. Given that the ED has indicated the actual proceeds of crime may exceed current estimates, further attachments and chargesheets cannot be ruled out as the investigation continues.