CBI charges in West Bengal school jobs scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and 20 others in connection with the multi-crore school recruitment scam. The case relates to large-scale irregularities in the appointment of teachers and non-teaching staff under the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC).

According to investigators, thousands of ineligible candidates were allegedly appointed to government-aided schools between 2014 and 2021 in exchange for bribes and political favors. The charges include criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and the use of forged documents. Officials claim that the scam not only robbed deserving candidates of employment but also undermined the credibility of the education system.

Partha Chatterjee, who was arrested earlier in 2022, remains in custody along with several middlemen and former SSC officials. The CBI’s fresh chargesheet strengthens the case against him, with documentary evidence and witness statements pointing to systematic corruption at the highest levels.

The development has triggered fresh political debates in West Bengal, with opposition parties accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress of shielding corrupt leaders. The case is now set for trial, marking a crucial step in unraveling one of the state’s biggest education recruitment scandals.