Pradip Sinha, alleged middleman in Bengal’s SSC case, remanded in CBI custody till Sept 1

CBI allegedly found lists of undeserving candidates from his computer during a search carried out on Wednesday

KOLKATA: Pradip Sinha, the alleged middleman arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the multi-crore recruitment scam in West Bengal, was remanded in the agency’s custody till September 1 by a special court on Thursday.

Pradip Sinha denied allegations that he had a role in the West Bengal school recruitment case. (File Photo)

The federal agency told the court that Sinha was the link between undeserving candidates and officials of the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC).

During raids at his office on Wednesday, CBI officials allegedly found lists of candidates in his computer. CBI said his phone number was allegedly saved as ‘Chotu’ in the mobile of SP Sinha, the former SSC advisor who was earlier arrested by CBI.

“This is totally false. I have not given any jobs to anyone neither I have taken a single penny,” Pradip Sinha told the media minutes after the judge remanded him in CBI custody.

Earlier in the day, CBI officials raided Pradip Sinha’s second office in Salt Lake. One office used by Sinha was earlier searched by CBI officials in south Kolkata.

CBI officials said they are also looking into the role played by former SSC official, Subiresh Bhattacharya, who was the then chairman of the central SSC. CBI questioned Bhattacharya at Siliguri in north Bengal on Wednesday. The agency has also sealed Bhattacharya’s south Kolkata flat. He is presently the vice chancellor of North Bengal University.

“No corruption took place during my tenure. I have 100% faith on CBI. There was no offensive remark against me in the Justice Bag committee report. I have told CBI what I had to say,” he said.

Bhattacharya’s name was reported to have figured in the report of the enquiry committee headed by retired Justice Ranjit Kumar Bag, which was set up by the high court after the allegations of illegal recruitment first surfaced.

The Justice Bag committee recommended disciplinary action against that Bhattacharya was liable for for gross dereliction of duty and violation of the provisions of the School Service Commission Rules, 2009.