Charges Framed Against 28 People in West Bengal School Jobs Scam, Including Partha Chatterjee
In a major update on the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) scam, a special CBI court in Kolkata wrapped up the process of framing charges against 28 accused individuals on Friday. This comes in a case linked to the multi-crore recruitment irregularities for non-teaching staff in the Group-C category.
The spotlight fell on Partha Chatterjee, the former West Bengal education minister and ex-Trinamool Congress secretary general. He’s been at the center of the WBSSC scam probe for his alleged role in the school jobs controversy.
Just a day earlier, on Thursday, the court had completed charge-framing in another related CBI case. That one targeted irregularities in hiring secondary and higher secondary teachers, highlighting the ongoing crackdown on the massive school recruitment scam.
During Friday’s hearing, Partha Chatterjee joined virtually from jail. Once the judge announced the charges, he jumped in to defend himself. "I’m innocent in this WBSSC case," he said passionately. "The central agencies are just out to get revenge. I have my social reputation at stake—it’s the court’s duty to protect it."
Chatterjee, a doctor by profession, added that he’s spent the last three-and-a-half years behind bars. "If things keep going like this, I’ll lose faith in the justice system. Please grant me bail. I’ve never pulled strings for any job," he pleaded.
The judge stayed calm and told him to save his arguments for when his witnesses take the stand. The court also pointed out how Chatterjee had shuffled education department officers to fit his needs during his time in power.
Out of all 28 accused, Chatterjee has been in custody the longest for the school jobs scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in July 2022 from his home during their parallel investigation into the WBSSC irregularities. The CBI followed suit soon after.
Lately, courts have granted him bail in most CBI and ED cases tied to the scam. But he’s still stuck in jail due to separate charges in a related probe over primary teacher recruitments by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE).
This development keeps the focus on the WBSSC scam, one of the biggest corruption cases in West Bengal’s education sector, with investigations revealing cash-for-jobs rackets worth crores. As the trials move forward, many eyes are on what Chatterjee and the others will say in their defense.
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