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Calcutta HC pulls up CBI again over jobs scam probe, summons SIT head
Two lawyers present during the hearing said that the bench had also asked the federal agency if the Prime Minister’s Office and the CBI director need to be informed about the manner in which it was probing the scam
The Calcutta high court pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the second consecutive day on Tuesday while expressing its displeasure over the manner in which the federal agency is probing the alleged multi-crore recruitment scam in West Bengal schools. The court has also summoned the head of the agency’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the scam on September 27.
Two lawyers present during the hearing said that the bench had also asked the agency if the Prime Minister’s Office and the CBI director need to be informed about the manner in which it was probing the scam.
“The bench of justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay expressed displeasure over the manner in which the CBI was probing into the recruitment scam. The bench also observed that if need be, he would inform the Prime Minister and the CBI director,” Firdaus Shamim, counsel representing some of the aggrieved candidates, told the media.
Senior high court advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya also said, “The bench made a remark asking whether PMO needs to be informed over the manner in which the agency was probing into the scam.”
Senior officials of the agency refused to make any comment on the court’s observations.
On Monday, the high cbourt bench had wondered whether the agency was hand in glove with Manik Bhattacharya, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmaker and a former president of the state primary education board.
“The court had asked the CBI whether the suspects (mentioned in the list) have been questioned to which the agency said that some have been questioned. To this the bench questioned as to whether the agency was planning to question the rest after the dates of the 2024 polls are declared,” said a senior advocate present during the hearing.
The federal agency had told the court that it suspected involvement of many others, including elected representatives, in the alleged irregularities in recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff in state-run schools.
