CBI frames charges against Partha, 20 others in school jobs case
Times of India | 12 September 2025
Kolkata: The CBI on Thursday framed charges against former education minister Partha Chatterjee and 20 others in the school jobs case. Additionally, charges were framed against former Bengal minister of state in charge of school education Paresh Chandra Adhikari and his daughter Ankita Adhikari, whose name appeared in the list of tainted candidates released by SSC.
CBI sources said the charges were framed in the court of Justice Biswarup Seth under several sections, including criminal conspiracy (120B), concealment of evidence (201), fraud (420), forgery (467), cheating (468) and knowingly using forged documents (471).
The Adhikari father-daughter duo has filed an exemption petition arguing they are innocent. Ankita has claimed she got the schoolteacher job on her own merit.
Their counsel also argued that Paresh did not hold a position of power when Ankita got her job, and as a result, there was no question of influencing anyone for his daughter to get the job.
Other names in the list of accused include Kalyan Gangopadhyay, the former president of Bengal's board of secondary education, former SSC chairman Subiresh Bhattacharya, former SSC screening committee head Santa Prasad Singh, former SSC secretary Ashok Saha and former SSC staffers Samarjit Acharya and Parna Basu.
The list also includes several agents and officials such as Naisa Pankaj Bansal and Niladri Das.
With the CBI having filed its charge sheet, the trial is expected to begin in a few days, sources said. Meanwhile, trial has already begun on the basis of the ED investigation in the case, which has named 54 accused.