The Central Bureau of Investigation filed four supplementary chargesheets on Monday
in connection with the cash-for-jobs scam in the state. Former education minister,
Partha Chatterjee was named as a prime accused in all four, according to officials of
the agency. The chargesheets were filed at Alipore Court, which had earlier rejected
Partha Chatterjee’s bail application on January 03. The four chargesheets CBI filed
were in connection with appointments of teachers at different levels in schools – in
classes 9 and 10 of the secondary section, classes 11 and 12 of the higher secondary
section, and non-teaching staff of Group C and Group D categories, said a CBI official
on condition of anonymity.
Probe On By CBI And ED In The Alleged Scam
In May 2022, Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay ordered the CBI to
probe the appointment of non-teaching staff (Group C and D) and teaching staff by
the West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Board of Secondary
Education between 2014 and 2021. The appointees had allegedly paid bribes in the
range of ₹5-15 lakh to get jobs after failing the requisite selection tests.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has started a parallel investigation into the matter.
Since the federal authorities started their probes in 2022, several
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders have been arrested by them.
Abhishek Banerjee And His Family Face Questioning By ED
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s
nephew, has been questioned twice by ED. Rujira Banerjee, his wife, and his parents
have also been summoned for questioning between October 6 and 9 last year. Citing
illness, the elderly couple had avoided the questioning.
The Enforcement Directorate arrested Partha Chatterjee and his close aide Arpita
Mukherjee on July 23, 2022. In its first charge sheet filed on September 19, 2022, the
federal agency said it traced cash, jewellery and immovable property worth ₹103.10
crore linked to the two of them.
Following his arrest, the Chief Minister removed Chatterjee from the government. He
was also suspended from TMC days after his arrest.
Bengali