Kolkata (The Hawk): As part of the ongoing investigation into the multi-million dollar teachers' recruitment irregularities scam in the state, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will question Manik Bhattacharya's spouse and son, a Trinamool Congress MLA and former president of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE).
Souvik Bhattacharya has already been asked to appear at the investigation agency's office in Kolkata the following week, according to ED sources. His spouse will receive a similar summons bringing her in for an interview the following week.
The central agency, however, has two distinct reasons for wanting to question both the son and the spouse. Souvik Bhattacharya will be questioned in relation to a contract his company entered into for Rs 2.64 crore with the All India Teachers' Training Achievers Association, the state's umbrella group for several private teacher-training institutions.
On the other side, Satarupa Bhattacharya, Bhattacharya's wife, will be questioned in relation to a bank account with deposits of Rs 2.97 that she shared with Mrityunjoy Chakraborty, who has since passed away.
In October, the ED informed a special court that the identification documents for the aforementioned deceased person continued to be utilised as KYC documents even after his passing.
Mrityunjoy Chakraborty passed away on January 30, 2016, and on March 8, 2019, more than three years later, his identity documents were submitted as KYC for the continuance of the same bank account, according to ED counsel Pheroze Edulji.
The bank accounts of Manik Bhattacharya's brother and son-in-law are also being investigated by the central agency sleuths in addition to those of Souvik and Satarupa Bhattacharya, and they may also be called in for interrogation in the future.
Manik Bhattacharya is now being held by law enforcement.
(Inputs from Agencies)