Calcutta HC reconstitutes SIT probing West Bengal recruitment scam – The Hindu

Kolkata News

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday reconstituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing irregularities in the recruitment of Group C and Group D employees in the State-run schools. 

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had expressed his reservation over the tardy pace of investigation and in an order during the day directed that the SIT will be headed by an officer of the Deputy Inspector-General. Justice Gangopadhyay relieved two officers and included four others in the SIT. It was Justice Gangopadhyay who had directed the CBI probe into the irregularities relating to recruitment in State-run schools.

During the day hundreds of job aspirants staged flash protests near West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence in south Kolkata. The job seekers suddenly emerged in the high security area of Kalighat and the police had no time to react. It took about an hour for the police to round off the protesters. They refused to be taken away. The protesters who held each other shouted slogans and said that they have been waiting for jobs for the past eight years. 

The job seekers claimed to have cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) in 2014 and said that their protests will continue till they do not get appointment letters. This is the second instance of flash protests by the job seekers who last week had staged similar demonstrations near the office of Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee.

Mamata raises question on central agencies

During the day Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee raised questions on the role of central agencies probing the recruitment scam. Ms. Banerjee said that while agencies  are prompt in taking action against Opposition leaders, they refrain from doing so when those from the BJP are involved in corruption.

“Partha Chatterjee was arrested after documents in his name were found in the residence of Arpita Mukherjee. That was right. Law will take its course….But why is the BJP leader, whose flat deed was seized from the residence of one of the accused, not arrested?,” Ms. Banerjee said.  The Chief Minister’s comments were directed at BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh, whose flat deed was recovered from the residence of Prasanna Roy, one of the SSC scam accused.

The recruitment scam has rocked West Bengal over the past few months. Former State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and a number of senior officials of the State Education Department are behind bars for their alleged involvement in the scam.

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