The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday took a major step in the ongoing school cash-for-jobs scandal, attaching assets worth approximately Rs 3.6 crore belonging to West Bengal's Minister for Correctional Administration, Chandranath Sinha. The attached properties are held in the names of the minister, his wife, and his son.
Properties Attached Across Names
According to sources familiar with the probe, the attached assets include around 10 properties. The list features residential homes, flats, parcels of land, and even a market. These properties were officially registered under the names of Minister Chandranath Sinha, his wife Kuntala Sinha, and their son.
This decisive action by the central agency follows a trail of evidence uncovered during the investigation. A significant breakthrough came when the ED recovered a diary belonging to one of the accused, Kuntal Ghosh. This diary reportedly contained over 100 names, and among them was the name of Minister Chandranath Sinha.
From Diary Entry to Raids and Cash Seizure
The discovery of Sinha's name in the diary prompted the ED to conduct searches at the minister's residence in Bolpur. During these raids, officers seized several important documents. More strikingly, they also confiscated about Rs 41 lakh in cash from the premises.
The agency stated that neither the minister nor any member of his family could provide a satisfactory explanation for the source of this substantial amount of cash. In her statement to investigators, Sinha's wife, Kuntala, claimed that the family's income was derived from agricultural activities and a construction business. However, she explicitly stated that she had no knowledge about the seized cash.
Legal Proceedings and Bail
The ED had already filed a chargesheet against Chandranath Sinha in this case six months ago. The legal pressure culminated on September 6, 2025, when the minister surrendered before the concerned court. Following the surrender, the court granted him bail.
The latest attachment of assets worth Rs 3.6 crore marks a significant escalation in the case, underscoring the agency's focus on tracing and seizing the alleged proceeds of crime. The school cash-for-jobs scam has been a major political issue in West Bengal, and this development is likely to keep it in the spotlight.
