In a recent development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has stated before a Kolkata court that former Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee was the sole planner behind the bribe-for-job scam in schools. This revelation has ignited a political row in West Bengal, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging the involvement of top Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership in the scam.
According to the CBI’s claims, Chatterjee single-handedly orchestrated key appointments in the education department, ensuring the smooth operation of the illicit scheme. Officials who resisted compliance were allegedly forced to resign. The BJP contends that such a large-scale scam could not have been executed without the consent of the TMC’s top leadership.
Chatterjee and his close aide Arpita Mukherjee were arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in July 2022. The ED’s charge sheet, filed in September 2022, revealed assets worth ₹103.10 crore linked to the duo, including cash, jewelry, and immovable property. Chatterjee, who was removed from the government and suspended from the TMC by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been in custody without bail since then.
During the court hearing at Kolkata’s Alipore court, CBI lawyers opposed Chatterjee’s bail petition, asserting that he ran the entire operation from behind the scenes. While the federal agency did not name any other political leader as a suspected mastermind, the political landscape in Bengal remains tense, with several TMC leaders arrested by both the CBI and ED since 2022.
Reacting to the CBI’s claims, the BJP dismissed the notion that Chatterjee acted alone, stating that he was the “striker” but not the “captain” of the alleged scam. Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya emphasized the chief minister’s responsibility in the matter.
TMC Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen countered the CBI’s assertions, stating, “CBI has not been able to prove anything till now. Its neutrality and integrity have both been questioned in the past. Working at the behest of the BJP, ED is trying to malign Abhishek Banerjee but as of now, CBI has not dared to do so.”
The bribe-for-job scam, initially probed by the CBI and ED following a Calcutta high court order, involves alleged payments by appointees for non-teaching and teaching staff positions. The controversy has become a significant political issue in Bengal, particularly with the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The trial process is ongoing, and tensions between the political parties continue to escalate.
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