What is the West Bengal Teacher Recruitment scam?
The West Bengal government conducted State Level Selection Test (SLST) in 2014 and issued a notification for appointment of the teachers in the state-run schools. The recruitment process started in 2016.
However, a number of petitions were filed in the Calcutta High Court in suspected anomalies in the recruitment process. Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee was the state education minister from 2014 to 2021, around the time when the scam also took place.
Allegations
Petitioners in the Calcutta High Court alleged that students who scored much less had been ranked higher in the merit list. Further they also stated that students who weren't on the merit list also received appointment letters.
Further in 2016, the West Bengal Government had asked SSC to hire 13,000 Group-D employees for state-run/aided schools. It was alleged that at least 25 people were hired in 2019, when the panel making the appointments had already expired. Petitioners said that over 500 people were appointed after the SSC panel expired and were now salaried employees of the state government.
Calcutta High Court Intervenes
The High Court bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to look into the matter. Following this the investigative agency launched a probe and declared the appointment of almost 269 employees to be illegal. It was alleged that these people had not even qualified the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET).
The ED is tracking the money trail in the scam, while CBI is probing the criminal angle.
CBI allegations
The central investigative agency said that int he year 2014, the selection process of the Teacher eligibility Test had been tampered with in order to deprive the eligible candidates.
The agency furthered its statement by saying that the TETs fail and/or ineligible candidates of TET 2014 got appointments as Assistant teachers in primary schools. It said, some students had left their answer sheets blank and only mentioned their personal details. These students later got appointments as Assistant Teachers
The complete selection process clearly shows favouritism and nepotism in the selection process, it said.
Partha Chatterjee faces CBI interrogation
The West Bengal minister for industries and commerce was first questioned by the CBI on 18 May and then again on 25 May. He got embroiled into the scam as it took place during his tenure as an education minister.
Bengal industries and commerce minister Partha Chatterjee became embroiled in the alleged scam when he held the education portfolio. Justice Gangopadhyay directed him to appear before the CBI for questioning. The veteran TMC leader was questioned by the CBI twice -- first on May 18, and again on May 25.
ED raids on 22 July
Enforcement Directorate seized ₹20 crores following raids at a dozen places including the residence of two ministers who were named in connection with the scam.
The agency said that they had recovered huge cash amounting to approximately ₹20 crores from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee, who is a close associate of Partha Chatterjee (former West Bengal Education Minister).
The sleuths raided the residence of senior West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee here and questioned him for over 11 hours in connection with its investigation into the teacher recruitment scam, an official of the agency said.
Further the investigative agencies visited another minister Paresh Adhikari’s home in Cooch Behar district in the northern part of the state and talked to his family members. He is currently in Kolkata. Besides, they carried out simultaneous raids in the houses of former advisor of the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) Shanti Prasad Sinha, ex-president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education Kalyanmoy Ganguly and nine others, the official said.
ED also conducted raids on Minister of State for Education Paresh Adhikary and MLA Manik Bhattacharya in connection with the alleged scam. Paresh Adhikaryi had also been interrogated by the CBI with his daughter losing her job as school teacher.
ED also detained Chatterjee's close aide Arpita Mukherjee, from whose property ₹20 crore in cash was seized, the agency official said.
"Chatterjee was not cooperating with our officers who were questioning him since Friday morning. He will be produced before a court during the day," the ED official told news agency PTI.
Political reactions
The ruling Trinamool Congress described the raids as a "ploy" by the BJP government at the Centre to "harass" its political opponents. Denying any role to play in the issue, the BJP has claimed the CBI and ED are "progressing on right path" and that "more skeletons will tumble out of the cupboard".
While coming out of the hospital, Chatterjee, when asked whether he tried to contact Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said, "I tried, but could not connect (to her)."
