CBI arrests North Bengal University VC in 2016 teachers' recruitment scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested North Bengal University Vice-Chancellor Subires Bhattacharyya in connection with an assistant teachers' recruitment scam in West Bengal in 2016.

The arrest took place on Monday after the probe agency called him for questioning at the CBI office in Kolkata and found him "non-cooperative", according to the officials.

Bhattacharyya's arrest comes after his residence and office were searched by the agency in August this year.

Bhattacharyya is also a former School Service Commission (SSC) Chairman who is accused of being involved in the irregularities in the appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff in the state, according to the central agency sources.

He chaired the commission from 2014 to 2018.

The probe was taken up by the CBI after directions from the Calcutta High Court.

Also, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet before a court in Kolkata in connection with the recruitment scam.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on September 15 arrested the former president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, Kalyanmoy Ganguly, for his alleged involvement in the School Service Commission (SSC) scam case.

"It was alleged that the accused extended undue advantage and in conspiracy with others had facilitated illegal appointment to the undeserving and unlisted candidates to the post of Group-C staffs in various schools across the state of West Bengal," read a statement by CBI.

CBI registered the instant case in May this year.

On Thursday, CBI conducted searches at six locations in Delhi and Kolkata at the premises of a software company in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) scam.

A special court in Kolkata had extended the judicial custody of former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee and his close associate, Arpita Mukherjee, till September 14 in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam case.

Calcutta High Court on August 18 had ordered West Bengal TMC leader Anubrata Mondal's daughter Sukanya Mondal to produce her Teacher Eligibility Test certificate before the court.She was appearing before the court in connection with a petition filed alleging she was recruited as a teacher without clearing the TET exam.

Accused in the case, Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee were arrested in July in connection with the recruitment scam.

The Enforcement Directorate had raided several premises allegedly linked to Arpita Mukherjee in the scam.

The probe agency has recovered cash worth about Rs 50 crore, foreign currency, jewellery and gold biscuits in connection with its raids into the scam.

Chatterjee was education minister from 2014 to 2021 in the Trinamool Congress government.

Following Chatterjee's arrest, he was removed as a minister and suspended from the Trinamool Congress.

(ANI)

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