Ex-SSC chairman alleges pressure from Partha-Mukul for illegal hires in court

In the sweltering confines of Alipore's Special CBI Court, the long-simmering West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scandal ignited into a dramatic courtroom clash today, with former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee appearing virtually from his hospital bed, dark sunglasses shielding his eyes as he flipped through case files amid the proceedings. The trial, probing alleged cash-for-jobs irregularities in teacher appointments from 2011 to 2016, kicked off with explosive testimony from ex-SSC Chairman, who claimed direct pressure from former heavyweights Partha Chatterjee and Mukul Roy to bend rules for unqualified candidates, potentially worth crores in bribes. Judge Bishwarup Seth's bench witnessed heated exchanges between CBI lawyers and the defense, marked by objections over "politically motivated" questions and accusations of perjury, underscoring the deep political undercurrents of a scam that tainted thousands of hires and toppled careers.

As the hearing adjourned with promises of more revelations, the case—rooted in a 2022 Calcutta High Court directive—continues to grip Bengal, symbolizing the rot in public recruitment and the quest for accountability in a state reeling from electoral fallout.The courtroom buzzed with anticipation as the virtual feeds flickered to life, bringing in Chatterjee, reclining on his hospital bed in a stark white room, alongside other accused like Ashok Saha, SP Singh, and Prasanna Roy. The former minister, arrested in 2022 amid raids uncovering stashes of cash linked to his aide Arpita Mukherjee, cut a subdued figure—his lawyer, Biplab Goswami, interjecting sharply to qualify any mention of his client as "indirect." But the spotlight fell on the witness stand, where the ex-SSC Chairman, who helmed the board from June 2011 to 2013, faced a barrage of questions from CBI counsel. He detailed his swift elevation to the post on June 6, 2011, following what he described as a personal directive from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Tensions escalates when the CBI lawyer probed whether the witness had joined SSC directly without prior service, prompting immediate pushback from defense attorneys, including Sanjay Dasgupta, who branded the query "politically influenced." Judge Seth intervened, urging focus on case-relevant matters, but the floodgates had opened. "Who prompted you to take the Chairman's post?" the CBI pressed. "The CM informed me of the appointment, and I joined," came the measured reply, Undeterred, the witness revealed his four-year tenure was cut short by resignation in 2013, just two years in, amid mounting pressure to approve "irregular" SSC recruitments that bypassed merit lists and exams.The heart of the testimony laid bare the alleged coercion: "I was under immense pressure," the ex-Chairman stated flatly, elaborating how Mukul Roy and Partha Chatterjee—exerted influence, albeit "indirectly" in Chatterjee's case, to fast-track undeserving candidates.

The court leaned in as he recounted a pivotal summons to Chatterjee's home, where demands escalated into what he called "unacceptable force," leaving him no choice but to quit without formal reasons. As the gavel fell, wrapping the inaugural hearing, the court scheduled continuation tommorow, potentially featuring another ex-SSC official, with the next full session set for coming Monday. Outside, the scandal's shadow looms large—over 25,000 jobs scrapped by Supreme Court order, hundreds implicated, and Chatterjee's bail battles ongoing in higher courts. For Bengal's beleaguered education sector, still scarred by the exposures, this trial isn't just legal theater; it's a reckoning for a system where ambition allegedly trumped aptitude, leaving aspiring teachers in limbo and public trust in tatters. Yet, amid the barbs and banter, glimmers of accountability emerge, a testament to institutions clawing back from corruption's grip.