Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into alleged teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal – Hindustan Times

The Calcutta high court on Thursday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of assistant teachers in government schools.

The CBI is already investigating the alleged recruitment scam involving Group D staff in government schools on the orders of the high court. The federal agency has already lodged an FIR in connection with the matter.

“This is also required to be investigated by CBI by registering a new case in this matter as it relates to appointment of assistant teachers in classes IX and X,” a bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay stated on Thursday.

The Court was adjudicating upon a batch of pleas alleging illegal appointment of assistant teachers for Class 9 and Class 10 in state-run schools pertaining to the West Bengal State Level Selection Test (SLST) on the purported recommendation of the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).

Directing the CBI to interrogate any person they think fit to unearth the corruption, the high court gave the probe agency a freehand for interrogation in the appointments in government-aided schools “whatever be his social or political status”.

In 2016, the Mamata Banerjee-administration had recommended the appointment of around 13,000 non-teaching staff in state-aided schools. The WBSSC had conducted examinations and interviews. A panel was set up. Allegations surfaced that the commission made around 500 irregular recruitments after the expiry of the panel.

SP Sinha and four other members of the recruitment committee set up by the Mamata Banerjee administration are already facing a CBI probe pertaining to illegal appointment of Group D staff in state-run schools.