Bengal SSC Scam: CBI finds SMS, WhatsApp recommendations, Partha Chatterjee’s role deepens

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made significant strides in the investigation into the school job scam in West Bengal, revealing that recommendations for appointments were not limited to paper communications. The agency found that recommendations for candidates were also made through SMS and WhatsApp, with officials reportedly considering these digital communications during the recruitment process. These findings add a new dimension to the ongoing probe into illegal appointments in the state’s government schools.

Sources close to the investigation indicated that Partha Chatterjee, former state education minister and a key figure in the scam, personally reviewed and shortlisted candidates based on these recommendations. The CBI has submitted evidence of such recommendations in its charge sheet, which includes a list of 324 candidates who were reportedly selected through the influence of powerful individuals, including current and former members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) and parliament (MPs).

Of the 324 candidates, the CBI has highlighted that 134 individuals have already secured positions in various government schools across West Bengal. These candidates were reportedly appointed after their names were recommended by influential figures in the state, whose involvement in the process is now under investigation. The CBI’s charge sheet also provides details of the meetings held by Partha Chatterjee with trusted education department officials, where such appointments were allegedly discussed. These meetings were said to have taken place at Chatterjee’s residence for reasons of confidentiality.

Partha Chatterjee, who was arrested in July 2022 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the scam, has been named as the mastermind of the entire recruitment fraud in the ED’s charge sheet. In addition to Chatterjee, his close associate, Arpita Mukherjee, and his son-in-law are also implicated in the scam. The charge sheet alleges that illicit funds were funneled through the Babli Chatterjee Memorial Trust, which was set up in the name of his late wife. These funds were reportedly laundered under the guise of donations, further complicating the case.

Chatterjee is currently receiving medical treatment at a private hospital in Kolkata due to health concerns. According to hospital officials, he is recovering and expected to be discharged soon. However, BJP Member of Parliament Jyotirmay Singh Mahato has written to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, expressing concerns about Chatterjee’s safety, claiming that his life may be at risk while in hospital. The investigation into the scam is ongoing, with the CBI continuing to gather evidence to build its case.