The CBI on Tuesday submitted before a court that they have found evidence that Chandan Mandal, a para teacher from North 24-Parganas district, who was arrested last week, had taken at least Rs 16 crore in the alleged sale of Group C posts in government-aided schools.
“Chandan Mandal was actively involved in a criminal conspiracy with other accused / suspect persons and had succeeded in arranging illegal appointments for undeserving candidates in lieu of money which he deposited into his bank account and into the bank account of one of the alleged undeserving candidates. Afterwards, this deposited money was transferred from these bank accounts to the bank accounts of other suspects,” the CBI counsel told the Special Judge for CBI cases in Alipore.
The central agency that had got Mandal’s custody for four days, had submitted a prayer before the court to send Mondal to judicial remand.
The judge on Tuesday asked the CBI counsel if the central agency was no longer interested in seeking Mandal’s custody, why were they opposing his bail prayer. At this, the CBI counsel said that the central agency had proof against Mandal tampering with evidence. The judge then asked why was there a delay in Mandal’s arrest when the FIR was drawn in May, 2022.
Outside the court, CBI sources said they have found that Mandal’s daughter and niece had also got recruited through the same process.
Mandal’s name emerged in the alleged recruitment irregularities when former minister and retired IPS officer Upen Biswas spoke of his alleged role in a social media post in April 2021.
Biswas, former Trinamul MLA from the Bagda Assembly constituency, posted on his social media account about a man whom he called “Shat Ranjan”, meaning “honest Ranjan”. The man was later identified as Chandan Mandal.
Biswas had explained in his post dated that this man not only allegedly facilitated jobs in government schools in lieu of money but also refunded the money if he failed to get the candidate a job. Mandal’s judicial custody has been extended till March 2.