Teachers' Scam: Like Bhattacharya, Ayan Shil Used Wife, Son's Accounts to Divert Proceeds

Kolkata, March 23 (IANS) Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths probing the multi-crore teaching and non-teaching staff recruitment scam in West Bengal have zeroed in on similarities between real estate promoter Ayan Shil and Trinamool Congress legislator and West Bengal Board of Primary Education's former President Manik Bhattacharya.

Sources said that just as Bhattacharya used the bank accounts held by his wife Satarupa Bhattacharya and son Souvik Bhattacharya to divert the proceeds of the scam, Shil adopted the similar approach, using the account held by his wife Kakoli Shil and son Abhijit Shil.

"However, Shil had gone a step ahead of Bhattacharya on this count. Cross-checking of the financial transactions made from the accounts of Shil it has been revealed he even used the bank account held by Iman Ganguly, the girlfriend of his son Abhijit, for the purpose," said an ED source.

While Bhattacharya, along with his wife and son, are currently in judicial custody in connection with the scam, Shil is currently in the custody of ED.

ED sleuths have come across information that Shil's son owns a petrol pump, which was actually financed by his father. The central agency officials have also identified some fictitious transactions in the bank account in the name of this petrol pump.

Now, sources said, the ED sleuths are investigating whether the account in the name of IGanguly was actually operated by her or by Shil himself after opening it in her name by accessing her identity proofs taking advantage of her close links with his son.

On this count, the name of Sweta Chakraborty, a model-turned-actress and a close associate of Ayan Shil, has also surfaced. ED sleuths have come to know that Shil had financed the purchase of her Honda City car in the past.

ED sources said that since the beginning of its investigation, names of women related to fashion, beauty, modelling and acting have surfaced. In July last year ED sleuths recovered crores of rupees and huge gold from the residence of model-turned-actress Arpita Mukherjee, who was a close aide of former West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee.

In case of expelled youth Trinamool leader Kuntal Ghosh, the name of beauty salon owner Soma Chakraborty surfaced after it was revealed that he gave her Rs 50 lakh as loan for extension and upgradation of her salons. She had, however, returned this money to the ED.

In the case of Ayan Shil, the name of model-turned-actress Sweta Chakraborty has surfaced.