Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh sends ₹5 crore defamation notice to Bengal teacher scam middleman
Synopsis
Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh has escalated her fight against the Bengal teacher recruitment scam allegations by slapping a ₹5 crore defamation notice on middleman Tapas Mondal, who claimed arrested TMC leader Kuntal Ghosh gave her a flat and car from scam money. With 500 pages of documents already submitted to investigators, the legal battle could pull the sprawling corruption case into new political territory.
Key Takeaways
Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh served a legal notice on Tapas Mondal on 11 July , demanding a public apology and ₹5 crore in damages.
Mondal, a middleman in the West Bengal teachers' recruitment scam , alleged that arrested TMC leader Kuntal Ghosh gave Saayoni a flat and a car using scam proceeds.
Ghosh stated she had earlier submitted 500 pages of documents to the investigating agency when summoned.
Ghosh, originally elected on a Trinamool Congress ticket from Jadavpur, later joined the NCPI party after TMC's Assembly election defeat.
If Mondal does not respond, Ghosh has said she will pursue the defamation case in court.
Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh on Saturday, 11 July served a legal notice on Tapas Mondal, identified as a middleman in the West Bengal teachers' recruitment corruption case, demanding an immediate apology and ₹5 crore in damages after he made allegations linking her to the scam. The notice marks Ghosh's first formal legal response to what she has called baseless and defamatory claims.
What Tapas Mondal Alleged
In a media interview, Tapas Mondal alleged that arrested former All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kuntal Ghosh — a key accused in the recruitment corruption case — had given Saayoni Ghosh a flat and a car using money siphoned from the scam. Mondal claimed this was because Saayoni served as youth president of the Trinamool Congress while Kuntal held the post of youth secretary. Mondal further alleged that there are thousands of individuals like Kuntal across the state who withdrew money in the name of Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
Saayoni Ghosh's Response
The MP rejected the allegations outright, stating that her name is being unfairly dragged into the recruitment scam. She noted that the investigating agency had summoned her once previously, and that she had cooperated fully by submitting 500 pages of documents. Ghosh said she had initially chosen to ignore the remarks but felt compelled to act given her status as a public representative. 'Baseless comments cannot be made about anyone,' she said, adding that if Mondal fails to respond to the notice, the matter will be settled in court.
Ghosh's Political Journey
Saayoni Ghosh was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Jadavpur constituency on a Trinamool Congress ticket. She subsequently joined the NCPI party following TMC's defeat in the state Assembly elections, becoming one of several rebel Trinamool MPs who switched political allegiances during a period of internal turmoil within the party.
Context: The Bengal Teacher Recruitment Scam
The teachers' recruitment corruption case has roiled West Bengal politics for months, implicating multiple former officials, party functionaries, and alleged middlemen. Kuntal Ghosh's arrest drew significant attention to the alleged financial networks that reportedly operated under the cover of political affiliations. This is not the first time the scam has thrown up allegations against sitting or former elected representatives. The case is being actively investigated, and several accused remain in custody.
What Happens Next
According to the legal notice, Tapas Mondal must issue an unconditional apology and pay ₹5 crore or face formal legal proceedings. The defamation case, if pursued in court, could add a significant new dimension to an already sprawling corruption investigation that has put the TMC government under sustained scrutiny.
Point of View
But it also underscores how the Bengal teacher recruitment scam continues to generate fresh allegations that reach beyond the original accused. The claim that a sitting MP received a flat and a car from scam proceeds — if ever tested in court — would be among the most serious individual-level allegations to emerge from the case. Ghosh's submission of 500 pages to investigators suggests she anticipated scrutiny; the legal notice now shifts the battlefield from the investigation room to the courtroom. What is missing from mainstream coverage is the broader pattern: the scam has already drawn in party functionaries at multiple levels, and each new allegation risks pulling in more names, making political containment increasingly difficult for any faction connected to the original TMC structure.
NationPress
11 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh send a legal notice to Tapas Mondal?
Saayoni Ghosh sent a ₹5 crore defamation notice to Tapas Mondal on 11 July after he alleged in a media interview that she had received a flat and a car from money generated through the West Bengal teachers' recruitment corruption case. Ghosh denied the allegations and called them baseless.
Who is Tapas Mondal in the Bengal teacher recruitment scam?
Tapas Mondal is identified as one of the middlemen in the West Bengal teachers' recruitment corruption case. He has made several public allegations against political figures, including claiming that funds were siphoned in the name of senior Trinamool Congress leaders.
What did Tapas Mondal allege against Saayoni Ghosh?
Mondal alleged that arrested former TMC leader Kuntal Ghosh gave Saayoni Ghosh a flat and a car using money from the recruitment scam, citing their shared roles as youth president and youth secretary of the Trinamool Congress respectively.
What is Saayoni Ghosh's political background?
Saayoni Ghosh was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Jadavpur constituency on a Trinamool Congress ticket. She later joined the NCPI party after TMC's defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, becoming one of several rebel MPs who switched affiliations during a period of party turmoil.
What happens if Tapas Mondal does not respond to the legal notice?
According to Saayoni Ghosh, if Tapas Mondal does not issue an apology and pay the demanded ₹5 crore, she will pursue a formal defamation case against him in court.
