A local Trinamul leader of Alipurduar-II block has been accused of taking money from many youths of the district six years back in exchange for teachers’ jobs in state-aided primary schools. Partha Chatterjee was the education minister then, but no link to him has surfaced so far in this case.

Kajal Das, the block-level Trinamul leader, admitted to taking money but added he could not contact his “Calcutta connection” whom he allegedly paid the amount. Sources said that in 2016, Das, whose son Bhaskar is a panchayat member, amassed over Rs 1 crore from youths.

“He said we will get jobs as primary teachers. I paid him Rs 9.86 lakh in 2016,” said Sajal Roy, a local youth, adding that in 2018, some of them who paid Das asked him to repay their money. “Das gave us cheques but they bounced,” Roy said.

On Friday, many youths went to Das’s house at Sobhaganj in Chaporerpar-I panchayat of Alipurduar-II block, and demonstrated there. They that many sold off their land or gold or took loans to pay him.

Das said he had a “contact” in the state education department. “I collected Rs 1.21 crore from youths and paid him, but can’t trace him now. I am seeing how I can get back the cash so that I can repay the youths,” he said.