The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as part of its investigation into the cash-for-school-jobs case, has compiled a fresh list of candidates allegedly recommended for school jobs by some political leaders in Bengal, including former and current Trinamool Congress leaders.
The agency recently submitted an additional investigation report to the court, saying that it had seized a large number of documents from the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) which include a list that was “recommended” to the then state education minister Partha Chatterjee.
“During investigation, a list of 324 candidates (actual number of candidates in the said list is 321) along with their roll numbers and names of referral persons, who are politically influential, was recovered from the warehouse of the School Education Department located at Bikash Bhawan, Kolkata. Investigation revealed that a total of 134 candidates out of the 321 candidates have been appointed, which has been confirmed by WBBPE,” the CBI wrote in the investigation report.
The report added, “It has emerged that 134 candidates out of the aforesaid 321 candidates were appointed as Primary Teacher through TET 2014 (Recruitment Notification 2016). The original list bearing the Minister’s handwriting was returned to Partha Chatterjee and could not be seized during investigation.”
In July 2022, former state education minister Partha Chatterjee was arrested in connection with the school jobs case. Two other TMC MLAs and many leaders were also arrested in this connection.
However, except Chatterjee, everybody is out on bail. According to CBI officials, those who recommended the names of candidates include Dibyendu Adhikari, the brother of Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and a former TMC MP who later joined the BJP.
Asked about the issue, Dibyendu Adhikari said, “Whatever I have to say, I will say in front the central agency.”
Asked about her name also featuring among the leaders named in the CBI’s report, Bharati Ghosh, a former IPS officer with ties to the TMC, who later joined the BJP, said, “I never recommended any candidates’ names for job. I only requested to change one candidate’s examination centre. If the CBI alleges such things, I will fight it legally.”
The CBI report also claims that Mamata Bala Thakur, a Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member, allegedly recommended several candidates to Partha Chatterjee.
Thakur also denied the allegations and said, “It is nothing but a political conspiracy.” The report also mentions names of some other political leaders.