Kalyanmoy Ganguly, former president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, was arrested by the CBI on Thursday in connection with the alleged irregularities in recruitment to Group C posts in state government-aided schools.
Ganguly was questioned for around six hours before being arrested, officials said.
The CBI had on May 21 filed an FIR against Ganguly following a recommendation from a high court-appointed committee headed by a retired judge.
Immediately after the arrest, Ganguly was taken to SSKM Hospital for a medical examination.
After the test, he was brought back to the CBI office at Nizam Palace in Kolkata.
CBI officers said Shantipada Sinha, who was chairman of the advisory committee of the school service commission (SSC), allegedly handed fake recommendation letters for appointment to Ganguly when he was president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education.
Ganguly allegedly gave instructions to the technical officer of the board to prepare appointment letters based on those recommendations.
“The recommendation letters were not sent to the appointment section of the board of secondary education, in violation of rules.
Nor were the names of the candidates notified on the website for verification of testimonials or for collection of appointment letters,” said a CBI officer.
Ganguly has been charged under IPC sections on cheating, fraud, forgery, common intention and criminal conspiracy.
The CBI had on August 10 arrested Sinha and a former secretary of the SSC, Ashok Saha, in connection with the alleged irregularities.
What the CBI officer said about Ganguly’s alleged involvement in the scam was mentioned in the report of the high court-appointed committee.
Sources said the 400-page report, prepared by the committee headed by a retired judge of Calcutta High Court, Ranjit Kumar Bag, said Sinha and Ganguly were involved in the irregularities.
The report, parts of which were read out in the court, said Sinha used to go to Ganguly with appointment letters and get them signed by him.