In its newest supplementary chargesheet within the West Bengal faculty jobs rip-off, the CBI has named one “Abhishek Banerjee” however not specified who he’s. This has set the stage for the newest spherical of bickering between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP, with TMC second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee’s lawyer accusing the investigative company of happening a “fishing expedition”.
Because the TMC’s victory within the 2021 Meeting polls, a number of leaders of the celebration — from Partha Chatterjee (subsequently expelled from the celebration) to Anubrata Mondal to Jyotipriya Mallick — have gotten arrested in corruption circumstances. However a majority of them are actually out on bail.
What did the CBI say in its supplementary chargesheet?
With out elaborating on who the Abhishek Banerjee it names is, the CBI mentioned within the chargesheet, filed final week, “Abhishek Banerjee demanded Rs 15 crores for the unlawful appointment already achieved and when Sujay Krishna Bhadra specific his incapability to gather more cash for the reason that candidates had already paid Rs 6.50 lakhs every then Abhishek Banerjee informed Sujay to cease their appointment else he would get these candidates arrested or get the candidates posted at distant locations.”
What’s the faculty jobs rip-off?
The CBI is investigating alleged irregularities within the appointment of major schoolteachers who discovered themselves within the State Stage Choice Check, or SLST, listing in 2014. The recruitment course of started two years later.
A sequence of petitions filed within the Calcutta Excessive Court docket have alleged anomalies within the recruitment course of, primarily that a number of examinees bought into the listing regardless of having decrease scores than the petitioners. There have been additionally allegations that some candidates who weren’t even on the advantage listing acquired appointment letters.
The court docket first ordered a CBI probe into recruitment for Group C and Group D recruitment in state-run colleges after which expanded the scope of the probe to recruitments in all classes: major, upper-primary, secondary, and better secondary academics. In March 2022, the Excessive Court docket ordered a CBI investigation into your entire recruitment processes.
Who’re individuals of curiosity?
A report submitted by the Justice Ranjit Bag committee, which the Excessive Court docket had arrange, first named former West Bengal Schooling minister Partha Chatterjee, alleging that he authorised an “unlawful” supervisory committee mandated with supervising and guiding the central panel of the College Service Fee (SSC), stacking it along with his shut associates.
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The report mentioned the structure of the committee was “invalid within the eyes of regulation”. It added that “individuals who’re the members of the supervisory committee are linked with the varsity schooling division and carefully linked with Hon’ble MIC (Minister in cost) Dr Partha Chatterjee.”
Primarily based on the report, the CBI started its investigation and in its chargesheet accused Chatterjee of indulging in fraudulent practices and arrested him on July 22, 2022.
The company subsequently arrested TMC MLAs Manik Bhattacharya and Jiban Krishna Saha, TMC youth chief Kuntal Ghosh, and several other SSC officers. On Could 31, 2023, the ED arrested Sujay Krishna Bhadra, believed to be near Abhishek, in reference to its personal probe into the alleged irregularities.
After conducting searches at premises linked to Bhadra in August 2023, the ED alleged that an organization, Leaps and Bounds Non-public Restricted, the place he served because the Chief Working Officer, was used for “making doubtful transactions working into crores of rupees”.
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The company added, “Bhadra was additionally a director on this firm from April 2012 to March 2016. Abhishek Banerjee, MP from TMC, is the Chief Govt Officer (CEO) of M/s Leaps and Bounds Non-public Restricted and was additionally a director within the firm from April 2012 to January 2014.”
Are there any corruption circumstances towards Abhishek Banerjee?
No, however the Diamond Harbour MP and his spouse Rujira are beneath ED scanner in a case of alleged coal pilferage. In September 2021, the ED issued the summons to the couple, asking them to look in its New Delhi workplace in reference to the probe. The couple challenged the summons within the Calcutta Excessive Court docket, which dismissed their pleas. After that, they moved the Supreme Court docket, which upheld the Excessive Court docket order.
The CBI and the ED later questioned each Abhishek and Rujira. The businesses additionally questioned the TMC MP in reference to the varsity jobs rip-off after Bhadra’s arrest in 2023.
What have been the political reactions to the newest chargesheet?
In a press release, Abhishek’s lawyer accused the CBI of spinning a “politically motivated narrative” in a “blatant try to tarnish” his shopper’s repute. The difficulty additionally got here up on the TMC’s assembly on Thursday the place each Abhishek and Mamata Banerjee alleged that with the Meeting elections approaching, the BJP was utilizing central businesses to tarnish their picture.
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Focusing on the TMC and the BJP, CPI(M) central committee member and former MP Sujan Chakraborty mentioned, “Had the CBI given the id of Abhishek Banerjee, then each the BJP and the TMC might need been embarrassed and that’s the reason they solely talked about the identify with out specifying who he’s. After the RG Kar incident, we all know the BJP and the TMC have a hidden understanding and that helps the TMC dilute the CBI inquiry.”
“Individuals know who this Abhishek Banerjee is and the individuals’s court docket will prosecute him,” mentioned BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya.
Nonetheless, the TMC is unlikely to be bothered about this provided that the corruption allegations have did not convey the BJP political dividends within the state — its marketing campaign revolved round it within the Lok Sabha polls final yr however didn’t have an effect — and all of its main leaders arrested in corruption circumstances within the final 4 years are presently out on bail.
