School staff recruitment ‘scam’: CBI swings into action

The CBI counsel today gave the interim report to Justice Gangopadhyay

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R CBI swung into action on Friday after Calcutta High Court judge, Justice Abhijit Ganguly, expressed his displeasure, holding the investigation agency responsible for delaying the probe into the alleged multi-crore school service commission teachers and non-teaching staff scam.

Justice Ganguly was hearing the plea for another CBI inquiry into a primary teacher’s recruitment, where petitioners alleged widespread recruitment against payment violating all norms and regulations of the government.

“I can order CBI inquiry. But will that bear fruit? Will that not be another Saradha investigation? Or per se the ongoing teachers scam investigation ordered by me? What is the difference between a state police investigation and a CBI investigation? The (Justice (retd) R K Bag-headed) committee gave you startling facts and you failed to investigate that.” the justice lamented.

The CBI counsel submitted the interim report and said the CBI was trying their best to get to the bottom of the crime. On Thursday, the Justice directed CBI inquiry into primary teachers recruitment too.

A joint director of the CBI, N. Venugopal, reached Kolkata on Friday to oversee the investigation of the education scams in Bengal. An SIT has been formed by the Justice. Venugopal held a series of meetings with the SIT members of the CBI which comprises two SPs and senior ranked officers.

The legal cell of the CBI in Delhi also gave input to the investigating team in Kolkata. The CBI raided the house of the School service commission chairman and advisor and gathered important documents from their houses.

Around 10,000 candidates are yet to get jobs in schools despite getting pass marks in the entrance examination. The opposition, particularly CPI(M), coupled the frustration of the judge with the alleged “link between Modi government and Mamata government in Bengal”.

“We always said that a game was on and that has been spoiling the investigation in all cases,” said a CPM central committee member.