Dramatic scenes unfolded in West Bengal’s Murshidabad on Monday when a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) reached the residence of Trinamool MLA Jiban Krishna Saha to carry out raids in connection with the alleged school teachers’ recruitment scam.

According to officials, as soon as Saha learned of the raid, he attempted to flee by scaling the boundary wall of his house. He was, however, chased down by officers and subsequently taken into custody.

“The MLA was chased and caught by our officers in a nearby area. Now, our officers are interrogating him," an ED official said.

The raids were launched following a tip-off about a financial transaction linked to the scam by an individual from Birbhum district.

“The individual from Birbhum district accompanied the ED team to Saha’s house this morning," the officer said.

The agency had earlier questioned Saha’s wife in connection with the case.

While the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the alleged criminal aspects of the scam, the ED is investigating possible money laundering links.

Saha, who represents the Burwan constituency, had previously been arrested by the CBI in April 2023 in connection with the same scam but was granted bail a month later.

The latest action against him comes amid an intensified crackdown on irregularities in the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment process, which has already seen multiple high-profile arrests.

Source: News18