The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) on Thursday evening published a list of 183 candidates who had allegedly got teaching jobs in government-aided schools illegally.
Earlier in the day, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of Calcutta High Court had asked the SSC to put up such a list on its website by Friday. The SSC did that within a few hours of the order.
The commission issued a notice stating: “The list of 183 wrongly recommended candidates in connection with 1st State-level Selection Test for the posts of Assistant Teachers (except Hill Region), for Classes IX-X, 2016, published in compliance with the order of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, High Court, Calcutta, dated 01.12.2022.”
The notice, signed by the commission’s secretary, mentioned the name, application ID (for the written test), roll number (allotted for writing the test), subject and the category (general or a reserved category) of each of the 183 candidates.
In March, the commission had cancelled the recruitment of at least 17 teachers in secondary schools, in compliance with an order of Justice Gangopadhyay.
The judge on Thursday also asked the commission to submit a report within three days on illegal appointments of teachers.
On Wednesday, the SSC had in a report to the court said that 183 teachers had been identified as having been appointed illegally.
On Thursday, the CBI informed the judge that not 183, but 952 teachers had been appointed on the basis of fake recommendation letters.
After going through the investigating agency's report, the judge said: “Corruption has been prevalent in every corner of the SSC. Now the time has arrived. The name of the mastermind of the crime will come to light.”
The judge asked counsel appearing for the CBI, SSC and the petitioner candidates to scrutinise the OMR sheets and other documents of at least 40 teachers believed to have been appointed illegally and inform the court about their findings.
In the middle of the proceedings, the judge said: “I heard that Subires Bhattacharya (former SSC chairman who is now in custody) is not replying to the queries of the investigators. Is it true?”
The judge told CBI counsel: “Ask your client whether Subires Bhattacharya can be sent to Delhi for interrogation. Let me know by 4pm. I will take proper action.”
The CBI informed Justice Gangopadhyay that Bhattacharya, also a former vice-chancellor of North Bengal University, was not cooperating with the CBI officers investigating the school recruitment case.
Counsel appearing for the CBI told the judge: “The CBI has decided to interrogate him in jail. The investigators are trying to find out whether Bhattacharya was involved in any other case.”
Justice Gangopadhyay advised the CBI to take Bhattacharya in its custody again with the permission of the court.