Daijiworld Media Network- Kolkata
Kolkata, Mar 5: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing the multi-crore school recruitment scam in West Bengal, has uncovered shocking details of candidates securing jobs despite submitting blank answer sheets in the written examination for recruitment.
According to sources, the CBI has submitted a detailed report to the Calcutta High Court, identifying multiple candidates who were recruited between 2016 and 2022 through blatant manipulation. Investigations revealed that Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets were tampered with, while many were illegally destroyed to erase evidence.
The probe further exposed how the alleged masterminds of the scam resorted to extortion, even from those who had already paid bribes for job appointments. In 2015, results of 752 candidates were deliberately withheld under the pretext of technical issues, but the real motive was to extract additional payments. When their results were finally declared, 300 of these candidates were found eligible and were eventually appointed to state-run schools.
The CBI’s findings also mention the creation of fraudulent websites designed to gain the confidence of aspirants who had paid money to secure teaching jobs. These fake platforms were used to facilitate illegal transactions under the guise of official recruitment procedures.
Recently, the central agency submitted a charge sheet at a special court in Kolkata, naming former West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee as the key conspirator. The charge sheet detailed how Chatterjee personally scrutinized and approved job recommendations for candidates who had paid bribes.
The CBI has also highlighted the role of digital communication in the scam, revealing that recommendations were not only made in writing but also via WhatsApp and SMS messages. The charge sheet includes annexures containing evidence of such messages.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which arrested Chatterjee in July 2022, has identified him as the primary orchestrator of the scam. His close associate, Arpita Mukherjee, and his son-in-law have also been named in the ED’s charge sheet.
Additionally, the Babli Chatterjee Memorial Trust—named after Chatterjee’s late wife—has been listed as an accused entity. Investigators allege that proceeds of the scam were funneled into the trust under the guise of donations, thereby laundering the illicit funds.
The CBI and ED continue their probe, with further arrests and legal action anticipated in the coming days.