The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday conducted searches at nine places across four districts of West Bengal, including at the residence of BJP MLA Parthasarathi Chatterjee, in the municipal recruitment scam. Mr. Chatterjee, who is the MLA from Ranaghat Uttar Pashim in Nadia district, was also questioned by the officials.
This is the first instance that raids by a central investigation agency were conducted at the residence of a BJP lawmaker in West Bengal. The development comes a day after CBI conducted searches at the residence of West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim and Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra. Searches were held by the CBI at 12 places on Sunday.
The CBI had registered a case in connection with recruitment scam at the directions of Calcutta High Court on April 24. According to the central agency, it is alleged that all contracts pertaining to various Municipalities, District Primary School Councils, etc. for the recruitment of Group C and D employees were given to a single company.
“It was further alleged that the said company was entrusted with all the tasks like setting up of question papers, printing & scanning of OMR sheets & preparation of final merit list etc. It was also alleged that the Director of said private company & others including public servants hatched conspiracy among themselves and in pursuant to that conspiracy, the accused(being responsible for the printing, designing & evaluation of OMR sheets) allegedly facilitated the illegal appointments of several unmeritorious candidates in several municipalities in lieu of money,” a statement by the CBI said.
BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said that search at the BJP lawmaker’s residence is befitting reply to the allegation of political vendetta. Mr. Hakim said that the raids on the BJP MLAs house was nothing but an eyewash.
Meanwhile, the BJP lawmaker whose house was raided had joined the saffron party in 2021 ahead of West Bengal Assembly polls. He was among the leaders who flew to Delhi in a private jet and met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Before joining the BJP, Mr. Chatterjee was with the Congress party and later with the Trinamool Congress. He was associated with Ranaghat Municipality as the chairman of the civic body from 1995 to 2020.
“I was not questioned as a BJP MLA but former municipality chairman. The agency officials sought details of municipal recruitments. I told him that I have no documents with me,” the BJP MLA said. He added that Ayan Sil, one of the prime accused in the municipal recruitment scam, had come to his office when he was chairperson of the municipality.
The CBI teams also held raids at the residence of former Chairman of Diamond Harbour Municipality Meera Haldar. Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is an MP from Diamond Harbour seat.
