Manik Bhattacharya faces new ₹16 lakh job bribery case days after bail in teacher appointment scam

Former State Primary Education Council chairman and Trinamool Congress MLA Manik Bhattacharya is facing a new legal challenge after a bribery case was registered against him at Mathabhanga police station in Cooch Behar district. The case alleges that Bhattacharya accepted ₹16 lakh through a teacher couple in exchange for securing jobs. The complainants have submitted a recorded conversation in court that allegedly includes Bhattacharya’s name.

This case has emerged shortly after Bhattacharya was granted bail in September 2024 following his arrest in October 2022 related to a previous teacher appointment scam. He spent nearly 23 months in jail in connection with that case. His wife, Shatarupa, and son, Sauvick Bhattacharya, have publicly refuted the Enforcement Directorate’s allegations in the earlier case and filed appeals seeking dismissal.

During the hearing at the Calcutta High Court, Justice Vishwajit Basu directed the police to submit a detailed report on the ongoing investigation by the next hearing after the summer vacation. Bhattacharya appeared in court and denied any connection with the teacher couple involved in the new case. He stated that he is willing to cooperate with any independent investigation and denied all allegations.

Initially, no First Information Report (FIR) was registered based on the complaint, but after the matter gained gravity, the police registered the FIR and began formal investigation. The teacher couple accused in the case was also arrested but currently remains out on bail. The court is treating the matter with seriousness, given the sensitivity around teacher recruitment in the state.

This new case adds another layer to the complex and ongoing legal scrutiny surrounding teacher recruitment processes in West Bengal. The upcoming police investigation report and the court’s next hearing are expected to provide further clarity on the allegations against Manik Bhattacharya.