CBI files first chargesheet, names Partha Chatterjee and 15 others in WBSSC scam

The CBI on Friday presented its first charge sheet in the West Bengal SSC recruitment scam in a Kolkata court, which featured the state's former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and 15 others.

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) presented the first charge sheet in the School Service Commission recruitment scam in Kolkata's Alipore court on Friday, 46 days after opening an investigation in the case.

The document names the prime accused and former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee as well as 15 others, including former President of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, Kalyanmoy Gangopadhyay, ex-WBSSC Secretary Ashok Saha, and the former convener of the state SSC commission, Shanti Prasad Sinha, among others.

The agency, upon being directed by the HC on February 11 earlier this year, is probing alleged irregularities in the recruitment of both teaching and non-teaching staff in upper primary and secondary schools in West Bengal.

Later, a three-member committee headed by former High Court judge Ranjit Kumar Bagh made a preliminary inquiry and submitted a report to the Calcutta High Court.

The report noted that the recruitment of 350 persons was done in a completely illegal manner, putting Ashok Kumar Saha, Samarjit Acharya, and two other members of the Advisory Committee on Appointments in the dock.

This was followed by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay ordering the cancellation of the jobs of 350 candidates, as well as directing the CBI to investigate the five committee members, including government officials who were involved.