Kolkata, Nov 16 (NationPress) The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, unveiled an audio recording on Sunday, claiming it proved that Trinamool Congress legislator Jiban Krishna Saha, currently incarcerated for his involvement in the multi-crore cash-for-school job scandal, was still soliciting funds from prison in exchange for job placements.

During a press briefing in his constituency of Nandigram in East Midnapore district, the LoP played the audio clip from his phone.

He asserted that the voice in the recording, allegedly belonging to Saha, who remains in judicial custody following his arrest by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials earlier this year, could be heard demanding money.

According to Adhikari, the conversations captured in the audio clip occurred recently while Saha was still behind bars. However, IANS was unable to verify the authenticity of the recording.

In the audio, a voice, purportedly Saha's, instructs another person to send Rs 50,000 immediately. The other party responds, indicating that a total of Rs 15.50 lakh has already been transferred.

Adhikari expressed his outrage on his X account, stating, "Shame on TMC and their JAILBIRD MLA Jiban Krishna Saha. The proverbial sayings; 'Habit is the second nature', or 'A leopard doesn't change its spots' have a new synonymous addition - Once a Scamster, always a Scamster !!! While honest Bengalis are sweating for their children's future, this corrupt TMC swindler; Jiban Krishna Saha is running his extortion racket straight from his jail cell!"

"Yes, you heard it right, Saha is wheeling and dealing, pocketing bribes, and fast-tracking sham Teacher Recruitments like it's just another day in jail. Is this what Mamata Banerjee's 'symbol of honesty (সততার প্রতীক)' has come to? A criminal playground where the law is a joke and jails have turned into TMC offices?" he added.

He also called upon the ED to quickly analyze the voice samples of the scammer and, if guilt is established, to transfer all Teacher Recruitment Scam cases out of West Bengal.

Adhikari further demanded accountability from jail officials, stating, "The sellout Jail Authorities have facilitated this daylight robbery. It's criminal negligence at best, complicity at worst. They must face the consequences."

Earlier this month, the ED's legal counsel informed a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata that Saha, the Trinamool Congress legislator from Burwan Assembly constituency in Murshidabad district, and his aides had been extorting money from both ineligible and eligible job seekers.

The ED has already documented statements from several candidates, who provided detailed accounts of money transactions made to the MLA and his associates. Many stated that when they initially resisted paying, their recruitment was either postponed or canceled.

In August this year, the ED apprehended Saha at his residence in Burwan, Murshidabad. He attempted to escape by climbing a boundary wall and discarding one of his mobile phones, but was intercepted by ED officials, who retrieved the device. After failing to answer questions regarding substantial sums found in the bank accounts of his relatives, he was arrested by the financial investigative agency.

In April 2023, the CBI had arrested Saha in connection with the same case, and after 13 months, he was granted bail by the Supreme Court.

According to sources, ED officials informed the court that funds from the scam were deposited into Saha's bank account in multiple installments.

The ED's investigation is based on a CBI FIR filed following orders from the Calcutta High Court regarding alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group C and D staff, assistant teachers for Classes 9 to 12, and primary teachers. The central agency has filed four charge sheets to date and apprehended several significant individuals, including former State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, his alleged associate Arpita Mukherjee, and former Trinamool MLA Manik Bhattacharya.