CBI uncovers names of top political leaders in SSC scam; 134 appointments identified

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made significant progress in the ongoing primary teacher recruitment scam, revealing the involvement of several influential political figures. During the investigation, the CBI discovered documents implicating leaders who allegedly used their influence to recommend candidates for teaching positions. The names of key political figures surfaced, including former Member of Parliament Divyendu Adhikari, BJP leader and former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh, TMC MP Mamata Bala Thakur, and TMC MLA Shaukat Mollah. These individuals are said to have submitted recommendations to Partha Chatterjee, the then Education Minister of West Bengal, who is currently in jail in connection with the case.

According to CBI sources, a total of 324 candidates were recommended by the political figures named in the investigation. Out of these, 134 candidates were appointed as primary school teachers. The CBI has detailed the number of appointments based on each leader's recommendations: Divyendu Adhikari recommended 11 names, resulting in 5 successful appointments; Bharati Ghosh recommended four names, with three securing jobs; Mamata Bala Thakur put forward 20 names, of which two candidates were hired; and Shaukat Mollah’s two recommendations did not lead to any appointments.

The CBI’s investigation further uncovered that these recommendations were sent to the Education Minister at the time, Partha Chatterjee. The investigation is focused on whether the appointed candidates were qualified based on merit or if they were selected purely on the basis of political recommendations. The inquiry also seeks to determine the nature of the process through which these appointments were made.

The probe into the 2014 Primary Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) irregularities began in 2022 following a directive from the Calcutta High Court. According to the CBI’s investigation, the documents suggest that both Divyendu Adhikari and Bharati Ghosh were not affiliated with the BJP during the 2014 TET. Divyendu Adhikari was then a TMC MP, while Bharati Ghosh, who later joined the BJP in 2019, was closely associated with TMC as the Superintendent of Police for West Midnapore and Jhargram.

The CBI has also obtained a list of the 134 candidates appointed as teachers through the recruitment process. Some of these candidates have already been questioned as part of the ongoing investigation. Although the CBI has not yet summoned any of the political figures involved, it is likely that further interrogations will take place as the investigation progresses, particularly with regard to the role of political influence in the recruitment process.