CBI charge sheet names TMC MLA, aides in Bengal teachers’ job scam; says accused collected crores deploying agents

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has submitted a charge sheet in the primary teachers’ recruitment corruption case, alleging that many job aspirants were denied teaching positions despite paying substantial sums to influential individuals, investigation agency sources confirmed on Wednesday.

The central probe agency’s charge sheet, filed before a local court, claims that ‘fake interviews’ were conducted for those job seekers who allegedly paid money. The agency leveled these specific allegations against Trinamool Congress MLA Manik Bhattacharya and a former party leader, Bibhas Adhikari.

Giving details about the functioning of the alleged mechanism, sources in the CBI claimed that Adhikari allegedly collected crores of rupees from job seekers on behalf of Bhattacharya.

The CBI recently filed the charge sheet in the primary teachers’ recruitment corruption case before the Bankshal court.

According to the document, agents linked to Bibhas Adhikari were deployed across the state to collect money from the job aspirants. The funds collected by these agents were allegedly routed to Bhattacharya through this close aide, Adhikari.

The charge sheet also names former secretary of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, Ratna Chakraborty. The CBI said in the charge sheet that she acted on the instructions of Bhattacharya in matters related to the alleged irregularities.

It may be recalled that Bhattacharya served as the president of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, while Adhikari was the former Trinamool Congress president of Nalhati Block II in Birbhum district of the state.

Ratna Chakraborty was the secretary of the primary education board during Bhattacharya’s tenure. The CBI alleged that all three accused were closely involved in the primary teachers’ recruitment scam.

Bhattacharya was earlier arrested in connection with the case and is presently out on bail. Adhikari appeared multiple times before the CBI in the same matter. He was recently arrested in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly operating a fake police station.

IANS