Charges Framed Against Partha Chatterjee in West Bengal School Jobs Scam
In a major update to the West Bengal school jobs scam, a special court in Kolkata wrapped up the process of framing charges against former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and 25 others on Monday. This marks the third CBI case tied to the massive cash-for-school jobs controversy that’s rocked the state.
The charges target irregularities in hiring secondary teachers through the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). Besides Chatterjee, a key accused is Trinamool Congress MLA Jiban Krishna Saha from Burwan in Murshidabad. Last week, similar charge-framing happened in two other CBI cases, with Chatterjee topping the lists there too.
Chatterjee joined the court hearing virtually. The judge pointed out how he allegedly handpicked loyal officers at WBSSC to smooth out the flawed recruitment process. But Chatterjee fired back, insisting he’s innocent and trusts the courts. The judge quickly shut him down, saying he’d get his chance later—his lawyer would handle things for now.
Among all those nabbed in the school jobs cases, Chatterjee has spent the longest time behind bars. Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials arrested him at his Kolkata home in July 2022, and CBI followed suit soon after. Both agencies have named him the main mastermind in the scam, booking him in every related probe.
To break it down, the entire West Bengal school recruitment scam spans six big areas: secondary, higher secondary, and upper primary teacher hires by WBSSC; primary teacher appointments by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE); and non-teaching staff in Group-C and Group-D roles, also under WBSSC. This cash-for-jobs racket allegedly involved bribes for positions worth crores, shaking up politics and education in the state.
As the cases move forward, eyes are on how the courts will tackle these deep-rooted irregularities. Chatterjee and his co-accused now face serious allegations that could change the course of West Bengal’s Trinamool Congress leadership.
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